


Da Capo al Fine

by Araceil



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Persona 5
Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, M/M, NG+, New Game Plus, New Persona Users, New Personas, New Phantom Thieves, Romance, Tags to be added, alternative universe, kitten!Morgana, new confidants, new palaces, no betas we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2020-10-03 22:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20460200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araceil/pseuds/Araceil
Summary: 'Da Capo al Fine', an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning".Akira Kurusu returns home and awakens in the Velvet Room with an offer to sit at the board, to play the game not as a pawn, but as a player. To correct past wrongs, to move where before he had been frozen, to risk it all in order to win a better future for them all."Sign me up."





	1. Chapter 1

Lavenza's smile was apologetic, and the last thing he saw before he woke, his decision made, in an unfamiliar bed, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, in a building he no longer considered home.

His phone trilled with his morning alarm.

The date...

She really did it.

It was the day he moved to Tokyo. The day he met Sojiro for the first time.

The day it all started.

He rolled over and turned his phone alarm off. And then just stared at it in his hand, at his long fingers, at the red case he hadn't yet changed, at how long his fingernails were, clean, and the delicate tracery of veins under his pale skin. The date stared mockingly up at him, the time six am, the weather cloudy and the temperature in the mid-tens. The pollen count was high today. It was lower in Tokyo.

When he returned to Nebukawa... it felt... he didn't have the words really, to explain his feelings as he directed his friends through his tiny water-front hometown. As he pointed out the Komekami fishing harbour, the Buddhist temple, the Prefecture Office, the road that lead up to the Hilton Odawara Resort and Spa, his old Primary school, Gansenji temple, and then, finally, his little house, a bit further up the hill. Ryuji exclaimed over how nice it was and he had shrugged silently. It was. He supposed. His parents certainly paid enough for it. But it was just a house.

He would give every last yen of his Mementos earned funds to go back to Sojiro's attic.

His parents were overwhelmed to see the gang of teenagers appear in their drive, his mother had gotten that pale pinched look of indignant pain on her face but she smiled through it to see him and didn't even attempt to reach out to welcome him back with a hug. His father was... less cold, but as absent as he always was. Patting him on the shoulder and welcoming him back, asking who his friends were before telling him that Sojiro had kept him up to date with Akira's grades and that he was glad that he was still putting in the effort to maintain them without waiting for an answer. His mother said it was the least he could do before telling him to invite his 'charming' friends inside. Before the neighbours saw them going unsaid, but evidentially heard judging by the looks that were exchanged by his friends, and the way Makoto's shoulders had drawn back.

It wasn't a complete disaster of an evening. His mother looked like she was ready to hit the roof when she saw Morgana but both Futaba and Makoto were able to argue her down to let him keep 'the cat'. Ann helpfully contributing that the responsibility was good for him and that Morgana was totally a sweetheart and a gentleman did more harm than good – his mother seemed to have taken immediate hostility towards the beautiful young woman. His father, once he could be engaged with, was more interested in talking to Haru about her father's business practices than anything else. Ryuji kept quiet and practically dug his knee into Akira's thigh in a show of silent solidarity while Yusuke stood at the window and framed the sunset between his fingers, praising his mother on her choice of home purely for the aesthetic value of the sunset.

In the end, Yusuke and Futaba were the only reasons she let the gang of them stay the night rather than force Makoto to drive them all home again in the dark. So, even after hauling his belongings into his room, the girls set up in there while the boys grabbed blankets and sprawled out in the living room.

Akira found his way onto the balcony once all the lights had gone out, listening to his parents arguing in their room upstairs, the windows open to catch the sea-breeze.

Ryuji joined him, mouth opening with every intention to begin ranting, only to go silent immediately upon hearing the old familiar tirade of his mother above them, hissed out through clenched teeth, and venomous enough to make even the likes of Akechi doubletake he should have thought. His mother.... He would have liked to have changed her heart but the problem was that she had no distortion. She was just.... like that.

Eventually they wound down, and the lights turned off, and Ryuji exhaled in disbelief beside him. Akira shrugged under his stare. They were always like that, don't worry about it. It didn't set the blond at ease, of all the things he expected when coming here, a spiteful mother and a disinterested father were not it. But it was exactly what Akira had expected, and in all honesty, he thought it a little foolish of his friends not to have even considered it. What kind of parent forces their child to live with a complete stranger for a year in a different city and never even checked up on him afterall? Ryuji had nothing really to say to that.

They stared out at the ocean for a bit, letting the silence settle.

'_It's only for a year. I'll be home before you know it,_' Akira had promised, nudging him with a grin. Ryuji hadn't smiled back, instead he scowled and looked down, rubbing his nose even as his cheeks turned red in the distant street-lights_, _and told him that he would always have a home with the Sakamotos'. That he only had to say the word and his mom would adopt him in a heartbeat. And yeah, they'd never met, but that didn't change the fact that she adored him for everything he'd done for her son, and Ryuji had told her all about him of course and yeah. He just had to say the word. They could be roomies. It'd be cramped, but yeah.

Akira could only huff a laugh and drag him into a one armed hug, mussing his hair.

When he finally went to bed, it was only to open his eyes once again to the Velvet Room, to Lavenza and Igor and an offer he.... couldn't really refuse.

The game had been won.

The board had been reset.

The question was: Did he wish to play again?

To risk all that he had gained... but save what he had been unable to, move where he had been frozen before, prevent what he hadn't known was coming, to play the game as a Player instead of a Pawn.

Yaldabaoth? He had asked.

Lost, Lavenza told him a small smile of pride on her face. He failed, and so passed out of existence. The board has been reset, the music book reopened, the song will begin again. It is his choice to sit at the table, to turn the pages, to join the orchestra. He may take his pick of metaphor, but the meaning remains the same.

“_Well, my Trickster? Do you wish to play again?_”

Shiho. Futaba. Haru. Hifumi. _Akechi_.

He smirked.

“Where do I sign?”

His voice was loud in the emptiness of his bedroom, in a room he hadn't slept in for over a year, a room already empty and devoid of his belongings, packed away and shipped to Tokyo to wait for him in Sojiro's attic. In an empty house, his father at work, his mother... elsewhere. She hadn't believed the charges levied against him, but she had done precious little to even try protecting him against their consequences. He had sullied her reputation, ruined her life. She had no son.

There would be no one to see him off to Tokyo. No one to wave goodbye to at the train station.

But Sojiro would be waiting for him, and that more than anything got him out of bed and into his new Shujin Academy uniform, the black, white, and red uniform more comfortable to him than his old cream and green uniform had ever been.

He packed his schoolbag and left the house.

And then... he turned around and shoved his housekeys through the letterbox.

He – would not be coming home. Not this time.

Win or lose.... This was not his home.

He walked to the station, refusing to dawdle as he had last time, reluctant and bitter to go to another city when this had been his 'home'. The only stop he made was at the little convini that he had last time, where he bought a new silver phonecase, to replace the red one that one of his school friends had gotten him for his last birthday. The same friend that ditched him in a heartbeat as soon as the going got tough. So the meaningless red case went into the bin, and was replaced with a flawless sleek silver one. The same one that would later have a single sticker emblazoned on the back, the Phantom Thieves logo. He didn't need to erase any numbers, any pictures, any texts on his phone. He remembered doing that the night before, tearful, furious, and bitter as he reset his phone back to factory settings. Wiping it of everything, including his parents' phone numbers. He didn't have parents, he decided back then, he didn't have a home. Now though, he knew home was waiting for him at the other end of the line and he wasted no time making his way there, paying for his oneway ticket to Shibuya, Tokyo.

It would be hard to see him again and know the man didn't think of him as a son anymore. The Sakura Sojiro that had taken in a 'delinquent' had been disinterested and semi-hostile towards him, adopting an attitude of 'tough love' in the hopes of straightening him out before he went down a darker path. It was going to take a while to earn back his affection and respect, but this time, hopefully, he could do so without having to rely on his skills as a Phantom Thief to pull him out of trouble. He would deal with Ishiki Youji personally so Futaba would never had to lay eyes on him again.

Futaba.

She was still locked in her room, still wilting in darkness. He was going to have to do something about that. She still had deliveries – maybe if he sent her something with his phone number, or a puzzle, she could contact him. If it was over text message, it should be easy enough for her to talk to him at this early stage.

He had a lot of things to do, to plan.

Good thing it was going to take him a few hours to reach Tokyo.

He pulled his phone out and opened the memo app he had lurking somewhere on his pre-installed app page and began to type up what he could remember.

Kamoshida.  
Suzui Shiho's assault & attempted suicide – PREVENT SOMEHOW  
Principle's involvement w/Shido covering it up & assassination later – CoH after Kamo?

Madarame.  
Secure Yusuke's finances FIRST  
Hifumi @ Kosei, mother rigging Shogi games, tell or CoH? Discuss w/team

Kaneshiro.  
Deal w/phishing scams b4 classmates r caught  
Knew of Akechi + connection to Shido  
Connection to Shido's 'Cleaner' Yakuza? CoH?

MedJed  
Futaba on side (hopefully) by then

Okumura.  
Weekend? CoH same day CC delivered?  
Befriend Haru sooner – she's lonely

Sae-san

He paused on Sae.

Her Palace had saved his life, and in the end, she had changed her Heart herself. She had defeated the conditioning of Yaldabaoth and the manipulations that both the SIU – _the SIU director!_

Another villain that needed a Change of Heart, and his name was _definitely_ one that knew of Shido's involvement. If they could get Sae-san on side, change _his_ heart, he could give them a list of names of collaborators, evidence forged and incidents covered up that could all trace back to Shido. They could get him arrested and collapse his whole network before the start of the second act, before Yaldabaoth could seize the hearts of the people – it had been _his_ messing around with the metaverse that allowed the malevolent being to get his foot in the door of the hearts of men. It was likely too late to _stop_ that initial creeping, but if the Phantom Thieves worked quickly, they could yank it out at the root before he fed too much and became too powerful.

Then there was Akechi and Shido themselves.

Akechi had been one of them at the end, they had made that connection, he had finally made his peace with himself and in the end died for them as much as he had for his past sins. He had not had that growth of personality this time. When they met, it would be as the charming Detective Prince that moonlit as a metaverse assassin and the Leader of the Phantom Thieves. But perhaps.... perhaps if he brought him in sooner, if he forged that connection faster, _firmer_, he could pull the lost young man out from the taloned grip of his father, from Yaldabaoth's grasp.

Shido would have his heart changed. There was no doubt of it. But it would take time. His distortion was so powerful, and he had used all of Wakaba Ishiki's research to shore up his own Palace's defences in ways that his conscious mind had no idea of. In the end, it had been their sheer determination and lack of shame that saw them through the Palace, that they didn't _care_ what he thought of them, that they would use it against him even, that allowed them to circumnavigate all of his measures. Before him, under his en'light'enment, they were but rodents. And that was fine by them. Rodents were everywhere on ships, and often times the first ones _off_ a sinking ship when it broke.

He saved his current memo and opened another one where he began to list every major Change of Heart the Thieves had enacted, and then what he could remember of both his confidant's problems, and the Mementos Requests they had torn through whenever they had a spare moment. And then he began to add more names, the five connections they learned of in Shido's Palace, the SIU director, Shujin's Principle Kobayakawa, Haru's fiancé – fuck, he couldn't remember his name, he would have to get it out of her later.

Haru.... perhaps.... if he was to pull Akechi from his father, it would be an idea to introduce the two to each other. Haru's nature was too kind to allow the kind of mental shutdown that Akechi had planned for his own father, and perhaps seeing that and knowing that there was another way would help them yank the Detective from his destructive path. But – even though he _hadn't_ killed Okumura Kunikazu in this instance, was it really fair of him to push the two together knowing what _had_ occurred, just in the hopes that they could help each other?

And then there was the matter of _telling_ his friends that he had lived this before.... he trusted them, he trusted them with his life and soul. But would they believe him?

Eventually. Yes.

They would believe him eventually, but he would first have to _earn_ that trust. Once he had it, he would tell them, come clean and explain how he knew. If would be up to them afterwards if they continued to trust him with that in mind.

He opened up a third memo and in this began to detail what he remembered of Kamoshida's Palace. It would be the first one they dealt with. Once he had Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana at his side, they could figure out what to do in order to protect Suzui Shiho from her volleyball coach.

He needed a plan of action first though. Tomorrow he would be heading to Shujin Academy, meeting Kawakami-sensei for the first time. Monday would be his first foray into Kamoshida's Palace. He would have to think of a plausible explanation for why he and Ryuji were late in, he hadn't done himself any favours by showing up at fourth period, but at the same time he couldn't risk _not_ doing the same thing this time – Morgana, if he didn't have any memories, would be waiting in the depths of the dungeon. He would also have to think of a good explanation for why he knew so –

No.

He would not lie to them. He would have to earn their trust yes, but that was also a two-way road. He should not make the mistake of assuming these were the same people as his teammates. They had the potential to become them, but they hadn't been shaped by the same experiences, they were new people, and they deserved the chance to come into themselves, whoever that may be. He did not have the right to take that from them.

So he would tell them. Yes he knew a lot, he was more than willing to share that information, but he couldn't tell them why. Not yet. When he trusted them more, then yes, he would tell them. But until then they would have to be content to know that he would never lie to them.

Never to them.

* * *

He didn't see Arsene on his way in, he didn't need to with the legendary Trickster chuckling deep within the recesses of his soul, awakening for the first time since Akira found himself in the past. But the distortion of Shibuya hitched at his steps as everything froze, and a familiar ping lit up his phone with an equally familiar App.

He smirked.

“Game start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warn you now. This will veer wildly into AU territory. Eventually. 
> 
> And, uh, as a warning? I'm not an Akechi fan. I don't bash, or I try really HARD not to bash, but don't think for one second that I will trivialise what he does, or forgive it, or brush it under the rug. He makes for a great villain because of the conflicting emotions you have for him, but in the immortal words of Jake Peralta in Brooklyn 99: "Cool story bo, still (mass) murder."


	2. Chapter 2

Leblanc was a sight for sore eyes. Yes it may have only been _yesterday_ he bade his home goodbye, but even that short absence had left an ache that seeing it again now soothed. The plants were a little less loved, but that was hardly surprising without Haru there to occasionally tend them in the moments while she waited for them, even her brief care towards them had made the difference. An apt metaphor life in general, even a little care was better than none.

Where would he have been if Sojiro didn't have that little care to take in an obviously unwanted kid with a record? Where would the world have been if he hadn't?

Small acts of kindness were the kind that saved lives. As far as Akira was concerned, Sojiro had saved the world just by being the one adult to take responsibility and not be shitty to any of them, to stand up for them, to protect them no matter the personal cost. The only one to truly understand the consequences, _completely_, and help them anyway.

So for that, he would forgive Sojiro for what was going to happen next.

The TV was on full-volume when he came in, Sojiro was on the customer side of the counter for a change, nose deep in a newspaper looking as though he were focused on the print while Akira knew his ears were really focused on the television. Two elderly customers sat near-by listening with grim and upset faces as the sensationalist news station that Akira recalled Akechi often appearing on exclaimed over the latest psychotic breakdown incident – a bus driver took to going down the opposite lane of traffic, the customers still trapped inside.

The old man, a regular by the name of Nobu-san, shook his head in dismay, “How frightening,” he lamented.

His wife looked at him in concern, “What could be going on? Didn't something similar happen just the other day?” she worried, and Akira caught the way Sojiro's eyes started moving down to where his favourite crossword puzzle was.

He muttered something about shellfish before glancing up at him, “...oh, right,” he grunted. “They did say that was today,” he said to himself as he turned to drop the newspaper on the counter and get to his feet.

“We'll be going now, Boss. The payment is on the table,” Nobu-san told him kindly, extending a hand to help his wife to her feet. It was reflex for him to take a step back and open the door for the pair, it was the afternoon and the Nobus' liked to come in for a few hours in the morning after seeing off their grandchildren to elementary school. Mrs Nobu had difficulty walking if she remained sitting for too long, so Akira would often hold the door open for them while Nobu-san helped his wife find her feet again. She had her cane with her today so it was likely a bad day for her hip, hence their staying a bit longer than usual.

He closed the door just in time to hear Boss sigh in tired aggravation, “Four hours for just a single cup of joe,” he grumbled, as if he would have had it any other way. He liked Leblanc being the quiet haven of Yongen-Jaya, their coffee oasis within the city where people could go and _not_ be bothered by things.

He sighed again and then gave him a sceptical look up and down, “So. You're the kid.”

He nodded, and gave his former-now-current caretaker a polite bow, “Please take care of me.”

“Uh huh...” the man said doubtfully before brushing it off, “I'm Sakura Sojiro. You'll be in my custody over the next year.” He gave him another look up and down, “I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh. Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other, and – well, not that it matters.” Weird, Akira hadn't noticed the strange cut off last time. “Follow me.”

Home sweet home.

Yikes.

He had forgotten how bad the attic was when he first got there.

Dust, cobwebs, mould, dessicated insect carcasses, miscellaneous junk, old newspaper issues, ancient books, boxes of stuff, oil canisters – the only preparations Sojiro had actually made for him was setting up his spare futon in the far corner on top of a bunch of hard plastic crates.

“This is your room,” the Boss told him, “I'll at least give you sheets for your bed,” he added quickly, frowning. “Hm? You look like you've got something to say.”

“...it's big.” It was filthy.

“It's on you to clean up the rest. I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night so don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble.” Cold, but understandable. He had been stung when he first heard this but knowing what he did know about Futaba's circumstances, he couldn't blame Sojiro for coming down hard on him. He couldn't afford to bring Akira into his house, it would only trigger her further, and if he caused trouble while under Sojiro's care it would prompt investigation from Social Services who wouldn't take well to Futaba's refusal to attend school due to her acute social phobia. Akira nodded easily enough. Hopefully this time he could help Futaba without having to put her through anything as traumatic as she had been forced to last time – hell, if he could go into her heart and fix her broken memories, begin to speak her shadow around, and then contact her in the real world and do the same, maybe he could do for her like the Phantom Thieves had been able to do for Sae-san.

“Now. I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you, right?” He folded his arms and scowled, “That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults.”

Akira looked at him sharply.

That was the last thing he expected from Sojiro. Had he really said that when he first came to Tokyo? That _he_ was in the wrong for protecting a woman from being assaulted? That he should have let it slide?

“You did injure him, yeah?” Sojiro continued pointedly in the face of his obvious disapproval. “And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass,” he tossed out with an unpleasant smirk.

He knew Sojiro was struggling with himself in the face of Wakaba-san's death and his inability to protect Futaba, but had he _really_ been this callous in the beginning?

“It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I _am_ in the restaurant business, you know,” the Boss continued harshly, “Behave yourself for the year, and your probation will be lifted.” Not a single chance of that happening, but this time he wasn't going to let himself get caught. “We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow, to introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know. Feh, what a waste of my Sunday. Your luggage arrived earlier, I left it there,” he gestured to the large packing box before brushing past him without another word.

Akira scratched at his hair with a quiet sigh. This might be harder than he thought.

Sojiro was a completely different man to the one he left behind in Tokyo. He _wanted_ to like him for who he knew he could be, but right now, he kind of wanted to _avoid_ him if that was the kind of person he was. Had bringing Futaba out of her room really made such a – don't be stupid, of course it did. Sojiro loved her dearly, that he couldn't help her was a constant bleeding wound on his heart. Like a bear with a sore head, he wasn't going to be in the best of temperaments when dealing with other people while constantly in pain.

Opening his box, he dragged out a spare change of clothes. He would need to keep his uniform nice for tomorrow, but he also needed to clean in here first.

He paused, pulling a t-shirt out of the box, and stared.

Morgana's scarf stared up at him, lumpy and misshapen, wrapped around something like a bento-box.

He.... shouldn't _have_ that yet....

Reaching in, he collected the lumpy package blinking in surprise to feel more than one object inside. He set it on the bed and unwrapped it, and laughed a little in dismay. Shinya's gun-controller stared up at him in all of its battered plastic glory atop Mishima's documentary plans. Sae-san's business card peeked out from amidst the pages along with a coupon he received from Kawakami-sensei offering unlimited massage services from her maid company. Ohya's interview notes were on the bottom of the pile with the magazine Ann gave him featuring her interview, and he found Haru's handkerchief wrapped around Takemi-sensei's dogtag, Ryuji's sportswatch, and the shogi piece Hifumi gave him, Kosha.

He wanted to ask how they got in there, but Lavenza's smile in the Velvet Room gave him a pretty good idea when he thought back. Mentally, he vowed to make more of an effort with the twins this time around even as he rewrapped those precious trinkets and tucked them up safely under his bedding so they wouldn't get damaged during his cleaning spree.

It was somewhat annoying that he had lost all of the physical conditioning he had gone through over the last year, not that he had been able to _maintain_ it while stuck in solitary confinement at Juvie, but had this been November he would have been able to clean the room entirely and still have energy to spare for a Mementos run. Now however, he was sweating and tired just from taking out all of the trash bags, dusting, and mopping. He could have left it there, but he.... didn't want to.

Knowing that this attic would eventually become the hide out of the Phantom Thieves, he wanted to put a little more effort into it – not only that, but he didn't know if the others had come back with him. Lavenza hadn't mentioned it, but she also hadn't mentioned the return of the farewell gifts as well. But even if they hadn't, he wouldn't waste time by having them meet on the roof, or in the walkway at Shibuya – both were unacceptable as hideouts, though the roof was better. Anyone could have overheard them, and yes they were far more likely to think of them as just phantom-fans, that belief was what tripped them up with the likes of Makoto and Akechi. Who knew who else had managed to figure them out.

It wasn't going to happen this time.

So, he cleaned, much more so than he had last time, and made a mental note to get some more dust-sheets, sanding paper, and varnish. As well as sugar-soap and paint. A couple of dehumidifiers for the window-ledges and the far corner that had a mould problem – Kawakami-sensei didn't deserve to get sick just because his room was in a shit state. Not to mention Futaba didn't have much of an immune system, she never complained, but she was also rarely there for long periods of time.

Last time he chucked the bike out, this time, he decided to keep hold of it – it would be a good idea for when he ventured into Mementos without Morgana, which he would have to do if he was going to track down the names of everyone connected to Shido's little cabal.

Actually.... He should come clean to Morgana first. Completely. Morgana's very existence was tied with what happened, he deserved to know the truth, and Akira could give it to him.

Sojiro appeared then, surprised and pleased by the progress he had made. He shouldn't be surprised, it was closing time after all. He wondered how the man would react when he went through the effort of stripping and revarnishing the wood as well as repainting the walls.

“I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?” the old man grunted with a scowl, and then turned away to leave.

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could censor himself, “I don't regret it.”

Sojiro paused at the top of the stairs, staring at him, “Huh?”

He stared at his former guardian and figured now was as good a time as any to give him an idea of whom he had agreed to take in. “What you said earlier. I don't regret helping that woman.”

His face twisted in disbelief, “You don't – are you kidding me?” he demanded, voice growing.

Akira didn't fold his arms, though the urge was there, “She needed help. I helped. What would you have done? Ignored her?” he asked coolly.

“I'd have called the cops and been on my way!” the man snapped. He never thought he would have ever thought Sojiro this disgusting. Guess Yaldabaoth was already knee deep in his efforts to crush humanity, and people suffering from depression and loss were easy targets to drag down into his apathy cages.

“And if it had been your daughter?” he asked quietly, frowning at the man, well aware of how much of a _low blow_ that had been. Well aware that at one point in time, it very well _could_ have been Futaba, or even her mother, that Shido attempted to force into that car – fuck, _had_ he – no, don't think about it. Not yet. Bring it up later with Futaba herself and see if she was interested in finding out. “Or your wife? Or your sister? You would just call the police and look away?” he demanded quietly with intensity.

Sojiro was silent, several shades paler.

Akira shook his head and turned away, he wasn't usually this wordy but – seeing _Sojiro_ like this..... It was honestly sickening. He wanted to break the chains on his heart already, shatter them into so much rust and dust. But it wasn't going to be easy. At a guess, his Shadow was at the bottom of Mementos, but if things carried on, if Futaba got worse – if she _died_ – then..... would he form a Palace of his own? Carve a niche for himself in one of the Paths? He didn't want to consider it – but it was a possibility.

He heard footsteps as Sojiro walked away, and wondered if he had just spoiled any chance he had at befriending the lonely old man this time over.

The door slammed, and Akira sighed.

Probably not lost entirely, but he certainly hadn't made it easier for himself, that was for sure.

He changed and climbed into bed, suddenly missing Morgana like a bad case of heartburn. He had spent so long with another living, breathing, being next to him that to suddenly find it missing was.... upsetting.

It took longer than he would have liked, with far more tossing and turning, but eventually sleep found him.

Closely followed by the Velvet Room.

He stared up at the padded ceiling, listening to the faint drip-drip-drip of the toilet in the corner, the faint chains that clinked overhead that attached him to the walls. Here he was.... right in the heart of Mementos. Right at Morgana's place of birth. Possibly.... possibly only a day or two since.

He heard a faint giggle, Caroline, from a few paces away.

Possibly only a few days since Lavenza was torn in two. Anger licked at his insides, but he swallowed it back before his will manifested completely in the chamber, even so, the chains rattled violently in response, and the twins inhaled sharply with surprise. He was a player on this board, and he needed to play the game correctly, at least for now – at least as far as the Velvet Room was concerned. He needed the Compendium, and the twins, for what was to come.

He sat up, and swung his legs off the bed, paying his chains no mind this time. They were there only because he allowed them to be – he was a prisoner no longer: of his heart, his mind, the expectations of society, or this board.

Least of all the false God in a fake skin sat in front of him.

“Trickster. Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

* * *

Shujin Academy – it was a wonder why he missed the place after meetings like that.

'Take responsibility for his actions', huh? The question of when Kamoshida would face responsibility for physically abusing his male students and sexually assaulting his female ones _burned_ on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down. He would approach the Principle at a later date, and rip his twisted desires from his heart. It hurt a little to see Kawakami-sensei so listless and uncaring. Her make-up game was as flawless as ever, much more so than Chouno-sensei, unless someone _knew_ how exhausted the young woman was, they would have never guessed she was wearing two different high-lighters, foundation, and eyeliner to hide the fact she had been functioning on four hours of sleep for the last six days. Sundays she usually slept a solid sixteen hours, she confessed once, just to catch up on the sleep deprivation she struggled with during the rest of the week.

She told him straight up that she wouldn't be able to protect him. Perhaps it was a kindness of her own at this stage in her life that she didn't tell him she wouldn't have even tried.

Sojiro hadn't spoken to him much since their – well since Akira confronted him last night, but it seemed his anger at the traffic on their way back to Leblanc managed to loosen his tongue enough to at least engage with him. Even if it was just to bark that he was taking the train starting tomorrow.

“...So. How was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?” he demanded gruffly, scowling at him from under the brim of his hat.

“Yes.” He could handle everything and _anything_ Shujin threw at him.

Boss sighed in annoyance, “Do you even understand your situation?” he asked disbelievingly. Akira refrained from sassing him. He knew his situation better than even Yaldabaoth and he was the one pulling all the strings behind the scenes – well, until Akira cut a number of them. “Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one.”

“Education is important,” he pointed out plainly. Also, it hadn't been his choice, but he wasn't about to say that.

“It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you.” Joke was on him. More people at Shujin cared than in his own family. He turned away and hid his smile behind his hand as he watched the world outside the window. His family were here, in Shujin, in Yongen-Jaya, in this car even, though it was going to take time and effort to win him over. But then again, all things worth having took time and effort.

His smile dropped at the radio's announcement of an accident in the subway station.

Akechi...

* * *

Sojiro's curry was as amazing as always, Akira was honestly surprised the man made it for him given the first day. Part of him wondered if he had gotten through to him, but he knew it would not be that quick, nor easy. The metanav had informed him in no uncertain terms that he had needed to maximise his 'Kindness' stat before he could max his confidant path with Sojiro. He had been unable to help the man with Youji Ishiki's false accusations, or help him overcome his depression regarding Wakaba. He vowed to do better this time.

It was somewhat strange to wander through Shibuya and not hear a single word, good or bad, regarding the Phantom Thieves, Akechi, or Shido. The cultists were bussing outside the main entrance opposite the Teikyu building, the local News-reporter was doing on the spot public interviews – he avoided them as usual, and made his way to the Ginza line the long way.

Stepping off the train at Aoyama was reflex by this point, he honestly completely forgot himself as he climbed the stairs out of the subway – and stepped out into the surprise April rain.

He rushed to an awning not too far away, cursing the fact that he hadn't thought to buy an umbrella. He remembered it being the first thing he bought on his way home from school that day, because he didn't _own_ one until then – he had always borrowed his dad's fishing umbrella when it rained because his parents preferred the small collapsible umbrellas. No one in Tokyo liked the big umbrellas, they were considered inconvenient for others, so he had been forced to get a collapsible one that he could carry in his bag – not that it did a very good job of keeping him dry, Morgana complained constantly about the rain.

He flinched a little when Ann suddenly rushed under the awning beside him, pulling her hood down with a huff.

Did... did she recognise him?

She looked around at the rainy street before realising he was staring at her, she looked at him in askance, not a single glint of recognition in her blue eyes as she huffed a small smile of private amusement at his gaping. She was used to guys getting weird around her, and admitted that it was kind of flattering when she could strike someone silent just with her looks, even if it did get annoying every now and again. Not wanting to come across as creepy, he quickly pulled his phone out to see how long this unexpected shower would last.

He didn't notice the car pulling up as he checked the weather app. Rain should be tapering off within the next ten to twenty minutes.

“Hey, how about you? Need a lift?”

Akira jerked out of his consideration of the weather app to see Ann get into Kamoshida's car, the teacher staring specifically at him through the still open window.

“No thank you,” he demurred, “App says the rain will stop soon,” he informed the teacher who nodded happily, accepting his excuse easily enough. He rolled the window up, his 'teacherly' duties apparently seen to, and Akira got a glimpse of the shuttered and diminished look on Ann's face and suddenly felt _awful_. He should have gotten into the car – there was no way Kamoshida would be even _vaguely_ suggestive or pushy towards her with another student near-by. No, _damnit_, he needed to be here for Ryuji so they could rescue Morgana –

Speak of the Devil.

His phone flashed red in the corner of his eye just as Ryuji bolted past, cursing.

“Damnit! Screw that pervy teacher!” the blond cursed, staring at the retreating car and his middleschool friend.

“...Pervy teacher?” Akira echoed, that was... surprisingly mild given some of the things Ryuji _usually_ had to say about Kamoshida. Though thinking about it, Shiho hadn't – the incident hadn't happened, and Ryuji had yet to see the truly depraved depths of Kamoshida's twisted heart. He probably, at this point, still held at least a modicum of, if not respect, then at least he didn't view the man as entirely repulsive and vile.

Ryuji stared at him without recognition as well, marching forward and squaring up, “What are _you_ lookin' at? You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?” he growled threateningly.

So. He was the only one who went back.

Well, there was still hope for Morgana. Being a denizen of the Velvet Room and the physical embodiment of human hope, there was every chance that he might have his memories as well. But if he didn't, then Akira would inform them of them soon enough, probably tonight actually. Still, having _Ryuji_ of all people look at him like that... it hurt.

“What do you mean?” he asked instead of telling his blond friend to calm down. At this point in time, they weren't close enough for him to be saying things like that.

His face twisted with familiar bewilderment, “Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida,” he explained kicking at the puddle beneath them. Actually... no, that was his bad leg, it must be bothering him because of the rain. “He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is – the King of a Castle? Don't you agree?”

It was too easy.

“Which castle?” he asked, only slightly teasingly.

“N-No, I mean – ” Aw, it wasn't often Ryuji had to explain things to other people, he got flustered, that was cute. Actually... was it because of that, or because he had never had any friends close enough to tease him like that since he stopped being close to Ann? Damnit, now he had upset himself thinking about the blond all alone. “Hm... wait, you don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?”

Too easy.

“I _think_ so,” he couldn't resist saying. Come on Ryuji, he was wearing the uniform. Surely the rumours had already hit about him, right? They certainly seemed to be everywhere by the time he actually showed up.

“What...? No other high school's got a uniform like this,” the blond exclaimed, which, please Ryuji, you are not a natural blond, please use the brain Akira knew you had! “Huh, Second year right? We're in the same grade then. Never seen you before though.... Oh! You a transfer student?” he asked, suddenly a lot more friendly. Guess the rumours hadn't hit out yet. That or Ryuji didn't have any friends to keep him clued into the latest gossip. Akira nodded and Ryuji huffed a bitter laugh. “Then no wonder you don't know him.” But he didn't elaborate further, instead, he turned and glanced up. “This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late.”

He felt the sudden disorientating wash of the metaverse pulse across his skin and staggered slightly. That was.... _rougher_ than expected. First activation? Or an _automatic_ activation? Sae-san did mention that she felt very odd when she showed Akechi the phone when Futaba force hacked their transfer into the metaverse. Ryuji took it a little worse, muttering of a headache and moaning about how he wanted to go home even as he began his limping march to Shujin.

Had he been ignoring his physiotherapy? His limp was nowhere near that bad normally.

They passed through the back-alleys, and Akira felt the distortion flickering around him. Ryuji's yelp made him speed up though, and step out into the hot-pink glare of the Phantom Thieves' first Palace.

The Twisted Castle of Lust.

Both impressive in its severe architecture, and rotten through to the core.

He hadn't yet set foot _into_ the castle so his clothing hadn't yet changed, but he could feel it, shivering across his skin, one wrong ripple away from sliding over him like armour. Which, in a way, it was.

“But – we didn't come the wrong way though,” Ryuji muttered, turning to check behind them just in case he _had _lead them down the wrong alleyway or something. Not that it was actually possible along this particular path. “Yeah, this should be right. What's going on here?” he asked rhetorically, staring up at the huge structure in confusion. “I guess we'll just have to go in and ask,” he suggested, looking at him.

Akira nodded. They should be fine. He could handle anything this palace threw at them.


	3. Chapter 3

As far as Palaces had gone, Akira did admit that this was one of the prettier ones – it would be even _better_ without Kamoshida's face everywhere, but you couldn't have everything in life. Thinking about it, it was probably also a good thing that this was their first palace, the one that brought the Phantom Thieves together, the one that made them. It was both personal _and_ repulsive on multiple levels for all three of them – Kamoshida's sick desires and pure hubris ignited the flames of their rebellion like a match to a powder keg. Funny how he could almost be considered the saviour of the world in that sense, just as Sojiro could be for being the one decent adult in their lives, Kamoshida was the one that made them _act_.

It was a mark of what kind of person Ryuji was when, even confused and frightened by the weird castle that appeared where their school was, the first thing he said to a complete stranger was to compliment them on their armour. Kind of surprising how quick he was to assume trouble and try to run though, was that perhaps because of the number of harder delinquents that looked at his blond hair and angry face and assumed he would be useful in their gangs?

It was only the fact that he knew they would be fine, that Ryuji had taken worse hits, and that Morgana would be barely twenty minutes away with a Dia to fix them up that prevented Akira from summoning Arsene then and there when things got violent. But even as Ryuji lost consciousness there was a – slight – issue....

None of the shadows could hit him hard enough to make him pass out, or even fall.

He wasn't _as _strong as he used to be, but something had remained. By the third guard's attempt to take him down, he figured it would be easier just to pretend, so he let the blow drop him, and feigned unconsciousness as both he and Ryuji were dragged down the corridors to the bottom-most cells. He was dragged by his ankle and could only be grateful when he cracked open an eye that they had decided to drag Ryuji by his bag still over his shoulders. If they were using his bad leg then screw subtly, he would destroy them, hide Ryuji in the nearest safe room and go rescue Morgana the hard way.

They were thrown unceremoniously into one of the bottom cells, and Akira waited for the guards to leave before sitting up and dusting himself off. Wouldn't do to show up dirty to his first day at school, even if it would add some credibility to the excuse he thought up last night.

Actually... should he go and try to find Morgana first?

Ryuji was already in pain from his leg, and that hit earlier had practically been a crit, especially for an unarmoured, unawakened teenager. Then there would be the bruises from the way he was dragged here as well. Yeah, he would go get Morgana first, and then bring him back here to fix Ryuji up.

He rummaged in his bag for – shit, he'd forgotten to make lockpicks.

Damn, he was usually more on the ball than this. Scruffing a hand through his hair he dug into his pencil case and took out his compass and a ball-point pen. He cracked the pen and worked it carefully into a point before heading off to pick the lock on the door only to discover that the tumblers were too heavy for the plastic pen – it splintered and snapped off in his hands.

Ugh. Wonderful. Wasted a pretty decent pen, and confirmed that he couldn't pick the lock with the tools he had to hand. Maybe Ryuji would have a second compass or something? He dug into the blond's bag but, surprise surprise, it was a small wonder he even had what he _did_. Pencil, pen, rubber, ruler, and sharpener. Deodorant, text books, phone, drink from the vending machine, bento box. No, nothing useful. He zipped the blond's bag up and set it to one side where it hopefully wouldn't get trampled in the chaos that was to come.

He heard a groan and quickly hurried over, “You okay?” he asked gently as Ryuji squirmed on the hard wooden bench.

“I – I'll live. More or less. Where... what the eff, man?” he gaped, getting a look at their surroundings.

Akira settled back and sat on the bench next to him, “Stands to reason there would be a dungeon in a castle,” he said dryly as he looked around.

“Hey, man. This isn't funny!” Ryuji spluttered, looking honestly scared.

“No, it isn't,” he agreed, “But we'll be okay. I promise.” Ryuji looked at him in surprise and he nodded, “I won't let anything happen to you,” he swore.

“Dude, if this is a confession, I'm flattered man, but I don't swing that way,” the blond spluttered, going red.

Akira snorted, “You're safe. I prefer shorter guys,” he admitted pushing to his feet and fiddling with his fringe, “And girls that can snap me like a twig,” he added grinning.

“Duuude,” Ryuji gaped, unsure of how to react. He would understand, eventually, upon meeting Haru he would understand all too well. Suddenly he twitched and turned to the door, “You hear that?” he asked, jumping to his feet and rushing towards the bars.

Show time, he guessed.

A trio of shadows clanked up to the cell door, the one in front speaking, “Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon,” the shadow declared as it came to a stop outside the door. “Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus you will be sentenced to death.”

“Say _what?!_” Ryuji yelped. Which, understandable. Japan didn't have a death penalty and murdering someone for 'trespass' was a bit extreme.

“No one's allowed to do as they please in _my_ castle,” announced an unpleasantly familiar distorted voice as the pervy King himself strode forward, shadows stepping out of his way as the half-naked Palace Ruler came to a stop.

“Huh? Wait... is that you, Kamoshida?” Ryuji spluttered in confusion and horror, staring at his gym teacher wearing... well nothing more than a garish fur lined cape, a crown, gym shoes, and his _underwear_. Because that was appropriate for Royalty in any capacity, never mind a teacher.

The Ruler eyed him disdainfully through the bars, “I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto... Are you trying to disobey me again?” he demanded before smirking unpleasantly. “It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all.” He glanced at Akira then, who had stayed a few steps back from the bars, watching him carefully. Looked like Kamoshida couldn't sense the disparity between them, most shadows in Mementos knew when they were about to tangle with someone much stronger than they were and prudently tried to run away most of the time. Palace shadows were.... differenty. “And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything for yourself.”

Ryuji rattled the dungeon door, “This ain't funny, you asshole!”

“Is that how you speak to a King?!” the Ruler snarled, glaring at him. “It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you _sneak_ into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me – the _King!_ The punishment for that is death,” he said, grinning. “It's time for an execution! Take him out!”

Ryuji recoiled from the bars, “S-stop it,” he said, voice shaking with fear as he took a step back.

...

Nope. No. N'uh.

The door was opened, and Akira gave it exactly until the three guard shadows were in the room before Arsene _burst_.

Blue fire, shadow, and scarlet roaring out from him as he lunged at the nearest shadow, reflexes his mind knew well but his body was only just catching up with snapped his hands around the shadow's mask and ripped it from his face as he went up and over it. Arsene's Eiha and Cleaving blow lashing out in concert beside him as the familiar feeling of his mask settled over his eyes, as he flipped forward, kicked off the Pyro-Jack's head, throwing it to Arsene's capable claws, and pounced on Shadow Kamoshida.

“That – was a _very_ poor decision,” he told the Palace Ruler with what Ann had affectionately called his Axe Murderer grin.

He didn't give Shadow-Shida a chance to respond before he hefted the huge man up over his shoulder and flipped him into the cell, slamming him hard enough to crack the brickwork beneath him. “Ryuji, c'mon! Grab the keys!” he called.

The blond stared at him in mute disbelief before looking down at Kamoshida, the keys, and then physically taking his chance to jump on his teacher's gut, feet first, “You like that, you son of a bitch?!” he shouted, his voice strained with fear and adrenaline as he snatched the keys, their bags (good thinking, Akira had honestly forgotten), and bolted out of the cell.

He locked it behind them and Akira plucked them out of his hand before he could throw them in the river, “We might need them,” he warned as the Ruler jumped to his feet and started screaming for the guards, rattling the bars of the cell door. “Come on, this way,” he said, giving his shoulder a gentle push in the right direction.

“What _was_ that just now?!” the blond yelped, jerking away from him, “And your _clothes!_”

Akira flashed him a slightly apologetic smile, “I'll explain when we're somewhere a bit safer. Promise.”

Big brown eyes stared up at him and for a second Akira wanted to come clean _right now_, but then he nodded, “Alright, man. Let's get outta here, I am so over this place. You lead.”

He gave the blond what he hoped was a reassuring smile and took them up the path to the first gate, which, would put them on the wrong side of the river to actually get out, thinking about it. It would give them a _shorter_ path to where they needed to go, but the huge clockwork mechanism to raise and lower the draw bridge around the corner was in the way. He remembered that from the first time they came in because he was annoyed at Ryuji for throwing away the keys they could have used to make their escape easier. But it turned out they didn't need them, and would have had to back track and potentially get caught by shadows. So he forgave the blond in his head. He had good instincts.

He lead the blond to the broken bridge and jumped over, lingering to one side in order to catch him in case his bad leg gave him trouble. Thankfully, true to last time, it did not. And they moved on through the open gate and used the cages to cross the river again on the right side. He didn't bother with the gate, recalling that there was actually a small crawl-space between the two cells next to each other that he took advantage of, huffing a little in amusement when Ryuji's bag caught.

Morgana should be somewhere down here....

No, they had to go up if he recalled. Their feline friend hadn't been just at the end of the corridor, he had actually been closer to the exit than their cell.

Clanking footsteps from the otherside of the river had him snatch his blond friend and drag him down behind a bunch of boxes, that he went quietly meant he must have heard them too. Part of Akira wanted to backtrack and destroy them, but with Ryuji in tow, despite how confident he was in his own abilities – he didn't want to frighten the blond who was only barely clinging to his composure and focusing on their primary objective, getting the hell out.

He lead them up the winding tower staircase to a second dungeon area with another underground river. Ah. Yes. This one was the one filled with the student cognitions. Ryuji freaked.

“Calm down, they're not real,” Akira soothed him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He knocked it off, “Not real?! What the eff man! What's going on here?!” the blond snarled.

Akira shook his head, “This is... Kamoshida's perception. You and I are real, physical, beings. These are symbols, representations of what Kamoshida thinks the students are. They're not real,” he explained as easily as he could. It took a while for Ryuji to understand the difference, hopefully this time he would get it a little faster. “I promise you, they're – ”

“Not real, right,” the blond muttered, looking at the male students in the cages, all of them wearing awful metal... _gimp_ masks. Not that he would have an idea of what that may look like, the only reason Akira knew was because sometimes he left Lala's a little too late to catch his train back to Yongen, so ended up lingering in Shinjuku for half an hour until the next one. Sometimes he window shopped. Aaaand sometimes people in fetish gear wandered the streets after dark. It depended on where you went.

He still winced with every cell they passed. Akira glanced in each of them as well, looking for Morgana, taking a moment to pull down on Kamoshida's jaw to lower the bridge as he passed. Ryuji whooped behind him and then he saw it.

“Morgana.”

The cat jerked and looked up at him in surprise, blue eyes huge, and trapped behind bars.

Those were going to have to go.

Good thing he had the keys.

“Do I know you?” the feline asked, sounding so young that he couldn't help himself from immediately picking him up as soon as he got close enough to hug. “Wha- Hey! Don't – don't touch me so carelessly!” he shouted, pushing against his hold only to _melt_ into him as soon as Akira employed his secret weapon – stroking the back of his head and neck.

“Uh...” Ryuji said somewhere behind him, and Morgana jumped as if burnt, managing to yank himself free of Akira's grasp and out of arms' reach. Which of course let the blond get a better look at him, “WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! IS THAT A MONSTER CAT?!!”

Morgana, predictably, yowled furiously, “I AM NOT A CAT!!”

“Quiet down, both of you,” Akira reminded them, glancing over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps. “Ryuji, this is Morgana. He's... I guess you could call him the younger brother of a friend of mine,” he explained, watching the way Morgana stiffened and stared at him with huge eyes, “Morgana, this is Ryuji, my friend. He's a little rough around the edges, but he's good people. Please be kind to him, this is the first time he's been into the Metaverse,” he explained causing the cat to give the blond a thoughtful look up and down before nodding.

“And you are?” Morgana prompted, swaying from side to side.

“Akira. Come on. We shouldn't linger.”

They ran across the draw-bridge and directly into another shadow that he jumped quickly. Annoyingly he didn't have any Garu or Kouha techniques to deal with the Incubus and Pyro Jack that spawned out of it. But with the first round on their side, he directed Morgana to Garu the Jack and went at the Incubus with his knife, neither of them lasted long and they were able to go further.

“I promise I'll explain later, Ryuji,” he swore as they passed several of the cells towards another draw bridge.

“I'm holdin' you to that, bro,” the blond huffed behind them as they darted past a shadow not paying them any attention, looking the other direction, and barged into the stairwell. Akira would have liked to stop at the Safe Room back there, but with the way the Palace was right now, they wouldn't be able to leave until long after dark, and while Ryuji might be able to get away with that – Akira would not.

Running across the entrance hall always made him unsettled the first time over, it was unsettling now as well, Akira decided as they made for the east wing ground floor corridors, and the small antechamber that had the ventilation shaft out. He didn't give Ryuji a chance to go to the other door, and ushered them into the antechamber, closing and locking it behind them with the keys, and then leaving them in there, so that no one would be able to open it until their return.

Morgana's ears twitched, “That's a good idea.”

Akira nodded, “We should be safe to talk in here. At least for a little while. When we're done, we can get out through that shaft there,” he explained, pointing to the mesh on top of the bookcase. He always thought it was weird that there would be a huge ventilation shaft in a room with books, but he put that down to Kamoshida being a moron and having no respect for literature, or there being a supply cupboard somewhere in Shujin with a broken window or vent that he based this room on.

“Why not now?” Ryuji demanded.

Akira shrugged, “How long have we been down here? We're going to need a good reason for why we've been cutting class. Kamoshida already saw me, so did that girl. They'll say I was lying if I tell them I got lost or missed my train. And I don't think those excuses would fly for you either.”

“Damnit!” the blond cursed, dragging a hand through his hair. “Alright, then, what is this place, maybe we can – we can tell them about it, right?” he suggested.

“Don't be so stupid!” Morgana snapped.

Akira planted a hand on his head even as Ryuji bristled, “Don't be so quick to insult,” he chided gently. Knowing now that Morgana was potentially only _days_ old, and his only exposure for human behaviour had been those shadows he encountered while fleeing the heart of Mementos, his behaviour was hardly surprising, but it was still something that needed to be corrected before he settled into it. “I told you earlier, he's never been to the Metaverse before. This place is very confusing and frightening if you don't know about it.”

“I'll say,” Ryuji confirmed as he slumped at one of the tables. “So, this Meta-whatsit – ”

“Metaverse!” Morgana corrected sharply, and flinched a bit when Akira pressed a finger down on his head a little harder.

“Yeah, that. What is it?” the blond asked.

Knowing that Morgana's explanation would only confuse him further, Akira explained before the little cat could open his mouth, “It's an alternative reality,” he explained, making both of them look at him. “One based on human thought. Like, this place for example. It exists because Kamoshida thinks he's the King of Shujin's Castle, right? Well, if your thoughts are strong enough, sometimes, in the metaverse, they come true.”

“And those... those monster things you two summoned?” he asked curiously, still sounding a little bit disturbed.

“Personas,” Morgana chimed in, he looked at Ryuji consideringly and then clearly simplified his explanation to something a first timer would understand. Akira was proud. “They are a reflection of our souls. In specific, our will to _rebel_ against the expectations of society.”

Ryuji nodded slowly, “I'm pretty sure I follow you, but it still sounds too fantastical to be true. Still awesome though,” he added with a grin before it soured and he looked up and around, “So.... this whole place is what Kamoshida thinks of Shujin? How he thinks it _should_ be?” he asked, looking at them for confirmation.

“Pretty much. I'm impressed you caught on that quickly,” Morgana admitted.

“And what about you? Akira said you were his buddy's younger brother?” he prompted, looking between the two.

Morgana turned and looked up to him imploringly.

And Akira sighed, kneeling down in front of him, “That's something I'll have to explain to you outside of the metaverse. But, Morgana, you're young. Very, very young. I can't tell you everything about what happened, but I'm fairly sure you _were_ supposed to be human, but given what happened....” he looked down and then patted the cat on the head “It's better you have this form. If you were human, you wouldn't even be old enough to speak yet.”

“Dude, you're shittin' me?” Ryuji burst, looking at them, “You're tellin' me he's practically a baby?!”

“I am not a baby!” Morgana exclaimed nettled.

“Morgana, compared to us, you are,” he said gently, “But that doesn't change the fact that you're incredible. I _will_ tell you everything later at home, if you'll come with me today?”

He wavered, “I – well – I do have business here....” he trailed off unhappily.

Akira nodded, “The treasure,” he confirmed, making the feline tense up in surprise, “I'll help you get it. This guy is in dire need of a Change of Heart, sooner the better,” he added darkly. Perhaps between them they could do it before Shiho jumped?

“You even know about that?!” the cat exclaimed before blowing a breath of surprise out, “I knew you were no amateur but – I'm beginning to think you may be more experienced than even me!”

The three paused as they heard clanking outside.

“So, what's our cover story?” Ryuji whispered as he jumped to his feet.

“Found an injured cat, had to take him to the vet,” Akira explained, scooping Morgana up and climbing the bookcases. He was a great deal more careful than Ryuji had been the first time, and was able to yank the mesh out of place and put it to one side without making too much noise – no where near enough to draw attention from the shadows outside. And then they were out, taking Morgana with them, unlike the first time.

He felt the metaverse ripple and pull away from them like thick cobwebs, felt Morgana in his arms meow in surprise, his whole form changing and shrinking in his grasp. But they kept running until they were back where he and Ryuji originally met that morning, in front of the same fashion boutique at that.

Morgana groaned in his arms, and when Akira looked down he blinked in utter confusion.

He was _half_ the size he should have been, and barely a third of the weight.

Had.... _Cognition_.

He told Morgana that he was practically a baby and so his cognition reacted accordingly, he remained as is in the metaverse but when they stepped out into reality – he turned into a kitten. And this would be the first time he transformed into one as well, so he was disorientated, and probably tired.

“Did – did we make it?” Ryuji panted, straightening up from their run from the castle.

Akira nodded, but checked his phone just to make sure.

“_You have returned to the real world. Welcome back._”

“Whoa! What happened to the cat?!” he exclaimed, crowding in to get a better look at the kitten he had cradled to his chest. “...You weren't kiddin' when you said he was young...” the blond murmured, reaching out to stroke the tiny head in Akira's forearm. “What's wrong with him? He didn't seem hurt earlier.”

“What do you two have there?” an abrupt voice demanded, making Ryuji spring away to see two police officers. They looked between the two, and then at the kitten in Akira's arms. There was a beat of silence, and then the one on the left looked up, “Are you students of Shujin? Cutting classes, are we?”

“What! No!” Ryuji squawked.

“Sorry officer. We honestly didn't mean to,” Akira interrupted apologetically.

The officer with the bike looked at Morgana, and then up at him, “What happened?”

“We found this little guy in a cage not too far from here. He didn't seem to be doing so good though. I think he might have been abandoned,” he explained, “As soon as we got him out though he ran for it, and, well, I couldn't leave him. Ryuji offered to help me look. Apparently someone in Shibuya's been hurting cats, and we didn't want anything bad to happen to him,” Akira hammed up, rubbing Morgana's head and prompting the tired kitten to purr like a small car engine.

“Hurting cats?” the officer with the bike echoed, looking at his companion. “It's the first I've heard of it, but alright, you two hurry up now. You're late enough as it is.”

“Yes sir. We're very sorry, sir,” he said with a polite bow before grabbing Ryuji's arm and towing him back towards the school.

“Holy shit man, that was some fast talking!” the blond exclaimed gleefully, and Akira smirked at him, continuing to stroke Morgana's back.

“I spoke nothing but the truth,” he intoned solemnly. Which took Ryuji a second before he started laughing because, technically, it _was_ actually true. They did find Morgana in a cage, and he did run off with them as soon as he was freed. Whether the thing about the person hurting cats in Shibuya was true (it was, Akira knew it was because it had been a Mementos request) Ryuji didn't have a clue, but he didn't think they could get in trouble for prioritising animal welfare over their lessons. C'mon, it was a _kitten_.

Unlike last time, there was no sign of the guidance counsellor or Kamoshida at the gate when they arrived. Morgana was still drowsy and tired, muttering quietly about how he would be fine, just – just give him a minute, he was fine, as Akira continued to cradle him.

“Let's head to the Faculty Office,” he said to the blond as they stepped in and changed their shoes, “Kawakami-sensei might be able to get you a by with your homeroom teacher if she knows the circumstances,” he suggested. Together, the two made their way through the milling students, Akira ignored the gossip, it looked like the rumours had already hit and people had blown them wildly out of proportion as he headed up to the second floor 'following' Ryuji to the Faculty Office.

Kawakami-sensei looked up as they came in, her expression twisting in disappointment and disgust. “Unbelievable,” she sighed. “Being over _half_ a day late on your first day?” she asked disbelievingly. “Can you explain yourself?”

“We had to save a cat,” Ryuji told her casually, jerking a thumb to the kitten.

She paused for a moment and then actually _looked_, Morgana blended in pretty well with Akira's black uniform, but if someone actually looked –

Kawakami's eyes went wide, “Oh, goodness! It's so small! What happened?” she asked, suddenly full of that empathy and concern that Akira knew she had – kittens had that effect on everyone.

“Someone abandoned him in a cage not too far from here,” Akira explained for the second time that day, stroking his head, “We got it open but he ran. We spent the morning looking for him. He didn't look so good and we couldn't just leave him there... I was hoping to take him to the vet after class?” he asked hopefully.

She nodded, “Of course. I think I've got a box and a towel somewhere in here.” She quickly got to her feet and moved to one of the cupboards to find an appropriately sized box. Ryuji grinned wildly next to him, and nudged him in victory at not getting into trouble for being late. She returned with a shoe box that she set on her desk. “Anyway, you two, break is almost over, and lunch will be soon. You've probably not heard, ah here it is, but classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway accident,” she explained as she tugged a white gym towel from the bottom of her purse to line the shoebox with.

“Sweet!” Ryuji exclaimed happily.

“Maybe you could use that time to get some _studying_ done, Sakamoto-kun,” she suggested with heavy disapproval.

“Oh man,” he muttered, drooping dramatically enough that her lips twitched a little.

“I'll write you a note for your homeroom teacher about why you were late, but don't expect it again, Sakamoto-kun,” she told him sternly, pointing a pen she just took from her desk at him. “Still,” she said sighing slightly through her nose, “I'm proud of you for putting yourself out there to help an animal in need.”

Ryuji blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck, “Anyone would've done it, sensei. Besides, he's just a baby. I couldn't just leave 'im.”

She smiled kindly at him and handed over the note she'd written, “Still. Well done, Sakamoto-kun. We've all been worried about you recently, I'm glad to have been proven wrong. You'd best get to class.” She waited until the blond left the room before turning to him, “You called him 'Morgana', right?” she asked, peering at the kitten. He nodded and rubbed the back of his ears, prompting another broken motor purr that had Chouno-sensei from the next desk over suddenly look over with intense interest and Kawakami-sensei to visibly melt at the adorableness. “He'll have to stay under your desk for the rest of the day, Kurusu-kun,” she warned him as she held the box out, pressing her lips against her own cooing as he lowered Morgana inside.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing?” the littlest of the Phantom Thieves protested, squirming in his hands and hooking his claws into his jacket cuffs. Of course, all that could be heard by everyone _else_ was the most heart breaking plaintive mewls ever, and it was enough to make half the women in the room practically feral.

“Is that a _kitten?!_” Chouno-sensei exclaimed excitedly, already on her feet and coming over. In short order most of the teachers were in front of him, cooing loudly over Morgana who was getting more and more uncomfortable and squirmy. Pretty soon the story of him and Ryuji being so late to school because they were trying to rescue a kitten was known by all the faculty, and a few of the sneakier ones had taken pictures on their phones as Morgana finally managed to get out of Akira's hands and scramble up his arm to hide in his jacket with a demand to protect him from the crazy people already.

“I think you scared him,” he informed his teachers apologetically, stroking the quivering lump in his blazer that _loudly_ protested being afraid of anything he just refused to let strangers touch him so casually with their dirty hands – he didn't know where any of those people had been! Which only reinforced the impression of his words because the only thing they could hear was furious mewing and hissing from his chest.

Kawakami-sensei giggled and tucked the box up under her arm, “Well, maybe we can try again later. Follow me, we'll have to introduce you to the class after lunch.”

Everyone was weak to kittens, scientific fact.


	4. Chapter 4

“Being super late on his first day? He really is insane.”

“He looks normal though...”

“What's with the box?”

“He might slug us if we look him in the eye...”

Good ol' Shujin. Akira refrained from smirking as he cradled Morgana's box carefully against his chest, listening the muttering of his classmates.

“Alright, settle down!” Kawakami called behind him, cutting through the chatter easily enough. “I'd like to introduce a transfer student: Kurusu Akira. He is a little late today due to an incident this morning involving a stray cat.”

“I am NOT a stray!” Morgana protested from his box, and Akira had to suppress his grin as his classmates collectively blinked at the loud cry.

Kawakami-sensei smiled, “The cat will be with us for the rest of the day until Kurusu-kun can get him to a veterinary clinic this afternoon. Now, please say something to the class.”

He smirked at them with good humour, “I'm sorry if Morgana disturbs anyone. We'll try to keep quiet,” he informed them.

No one quite seemed what to make of him as Kawakami directed him to take the open seat behind Ann. She didn't react the same way she did last time either, but instead craned her neck to try and get a look inside the box as he set it down on his desk. And, of course, just like last time – it was love at first sight for Morgana when he saw her.

To everyone else, they suddenly got to see a little black and white head appear over the edge of the box, and a lot of mewling as big blue eyes stared beseechingly up at Takamaki Ann, who cooed eagerly. “Is it alright to pet him?” she asked, looking up at Akira before reaching out.

He chuckled, “Just be careful he doesn't try to crawl up your sleeves. I think he likes you.”

“Don't tell her that! And I _would never disrespect a lady so!_” Morgana objected, right before she started rubbing his head.

Kawakami-sensei clapped her hands, causing everyone to quiet down and Ann to turn back to her desk, much to Morgana's noisy disappointment. At least until Akira gently set a hand on top of him and he quieted down with only a little bit of a discontent grumble. “Let's get class started. Who's on duty today?”

Mishima slowly climbed to his feet, obviously aching and in pain, “Everyone, please rise...”

* * *

Even with Morgana out on his desk instead of _inside_ it, the lesson progressed fairly smoothly.

As soon as it ended Ann turned around to fuss over Morgana again, who soaked it up like a sponge. This time she even introduced herself – she was the only one in the class apparently brave enough to do so judging by the looks. That or she didn't care a single whit about the rumours. She probably didn't believe them which was more likely. Everyone in this school seemed to think she was sleeping with anyone who gave her the eye, especially Kamoshida, when in reality he knew she had never even had a boyfriend (he also knew for a fact that she had a massive crush on Shiho but was still struggling with the fact that she was attracted to not only a girl but her bestfriend, hopefully this time when he helped her out it would be about _that_ instead of Shiho's recovery).

Kawakami stopped him as he left the classroom to make sure he knew that she had nothing to do with the rumours spreading about his record, as his homeroom teacher she was basically his 'school parent' while at Shujin, it wouldn't do for her to make an enemy of him.

“You should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry that you were late in today,” she admitted, “And... about Sakamoto-kun...” She wavered, “Maybe... you should _continue_ to hang out with him...” she said slowly, as if it were something she shouldn't be admitting to. “He seems better when he's – speak of the devil,” she cut herself off as the blond in question appeared.

Ryuji actually grinned at her, not something he tended to do with _any_ teacher at Shujin, “S'up Sensei. Can I borrow him for a minute?” he asked brightly, _nicely_, with polite language at that.

Kawakami-sensei fluttered for a moment, obviously catching the significance of the change, “Y-yes, Sakamoto-kun. I was – just finished. Um. Thank you for asking,” she added, astonished.

He rubbed his nose a little, “Well, you were nice t'me earlier. I figured I should return the favour,” he admitted a little bashfully. “You're not so bad, Sensei. Sorry I gave you so much grief before.” Akira grinned privately as Kawakami-sensei flustered and went pink, spluttering a few denials and excuses before hurrying away, much to Ryuji's confusion. “Weird,” the blond decided before shrugging and grinning at him, “You said explanations dude, c'mon, the roof'll be quiet around now.”

They headed up, carefully dodging Kamoshida and Principle Kobayakawa who were already shit talking him – Morgana growled to hear some of the things they were saying and Ryuji could have spat wasps, but thankfully neither of them drew attention and the trio were able to escape without notice. Good old Shujin rumour mill was in full swing, though there were already whispers about how he couldn't be _that_ bad if he saved a kitten – but isn't that too cartoonish? A delinquent that rescues kittens, bullshit! But my friend _saw_ him with it in class!

The roof was abandoned like usual save for Haru's plants and Ryuji made himself at home, throwing himself down onto one of the empty chairs while Akira set Morgana's box down on the table. The kitten poked his head out for all of three seconds before vanishing back inside with a wail of: “Gyaaah! It's _cold!_”

Ryuji immediately want into his bag, “Hang on, I might have – ah, damnit. Sorry dude, forgot to pack my spare shit, I wasn't expecting to do any training today,” he apologised, grimacing. “My jacket alright?” he asked, stripping out of his uniform blazer.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise Akira decided, leaning against the table as Ryuji cheerfully bundled Morgana up in his blazer. Guess knowing, and _seeing_, how young the smallest Phantom Thief was triggered all of Ryuji's thus-far dormant Niichan instincts. And Morgana always responded better to positive attention, he had been toning down the worst of his more full-of-himself attitude with respect to the fact that the Metaverse _would_ be scary to someone who had never even heard of it before.

“So,” Ryuji began, drawing Akira's attention back to the here and now. “Everyone's talkin' 'bout yer record. Have t'ask though, after seein' how you handled yourself at that castle, does that have anything to do with it?” he asked curiously, Morgana wrapped up in his blazer and peering up from the table next to his box.

Akira pulled a face, “Kinda yes, kinda no,” he admitted. He then took his phone out and made a point of turning it off and tucking it into his bag before giving Ryuji a very pointed look. The blond didn't seem to get it at first, at least until Akira looked back down at his bag and then up at Ryuji. The blond cottoned on then and quickly followed suit, looking confused, but willing to play along. “Thanks. I don't really trust that app, not a hundred percent.” Who knew what Yaldabaoth could access through that thing, like the microphone for instance, who knew how many of their conversations as Thieves had been overheard, he had certainly liked to stack the deck in his favour so it would _not_ surprise him if the Metanav doubled as spyware.

Vaguely assured that being listened in on would be somewhat more difficult now, Akira explained about how he got his record, coming back from the store and seeing a drunk politician harassing a woman. Pulling him away from her only for the guy to fall and hurt himself. The woman being terrorised into making a false statement. The bitterness of what Shido had done to him was little more than a bad taste in his mouth, these days he had so many more considerably more justifiable reasons to hate the man and want to tear his Empire apart at the seams.

“He's a real piece of work, even worse than Kamoshida. He's killed people, raped, stolen, and ruined lives, all under the delusion that he's the only man fit to _'steer_' this country forward.” Echoing those words made him feel sick. “He knows about the metaverse, he's got people working through it to control the population, and an assassin causing those psychotic and mental breakdowns.”

“Duuuude,” Ryuji breathed, his eyes wide, looking paler than ever.

Akira shrugged, standing straight from the desk and shifting his weight, “I'll help you take down Kamoshida, he _definitely_ deserves a change of heart. If we can take out his distortion and convince his Shadow to change its ways, he'll confess his crimes with his own mouth. But after that, I'm gunning for Him, _and_ his little Empire, before he destroys everything.”

Ryuji looked scared, and Akira felt his stomach drop to be looked at like _that_ by _him_ of all people. Of all the Phantom Thieves it was Ryuji who trusted and supported him without question, even when he didn't understand it all, but also wasn't afraid to challenge him if he didn't like the direction they were going in. It was hard to remember that he had originally agreed to do this for popularity and revenge – it was kind of punching Akira in the face right now though.

“I – don't mean to scare you,” he managed to get out, suddenly anxious. “It – they – anger me, sometimes, if I think too hard about it. Sorry if I was a bit intense.”

Ryuji shook his head, lifting his hands, “Dude, no explanation needed, man. I walloped Kamoshida one in my first year, he broke my leg and disbanded the track team in retaliation. He's been an asshole ever since. I _totally_ get having anger issues – I think I would have gone crazy by now in your shoes,” the blond admitted hurriedly.

He quirked a worried half-grin, “How do you know I haven't?” he asked teasingly.

Ryuji snorted and tipped his chair back casually, “Because if you're crazy then so am I, because we both saw that Castle and met a talking cat,” he pointed out, grinning at Morgana who flicked an ear in agreement. “That's all the more reason to stick together in my opinion,” he declared as he dropped his chair back to all fours. “I don't know why, but I just – I get the feeling I can trust you, with, like, _anything_. It feels like we've been bestfriends for years,” he explained seriously before grinning at Morgana, “You too, Cat! Feels like we've been buds for ages!”

The kitten nodded solemnly, “I know what you mean. I feel as though I've known you both all my life. Have I? Known you?” he asked plaintively, looking up at Akira with those devastating china blue eyes.

“Near enough,” he agreed. “You were born down in the heart of Mementos only a few days ago. You lost your memories in an attack. Your sister was able to get you out, but both of you were hit hard and lost your memories. She doesn't even remember her name,” he admitted unhappily.

“I have a sister?” he asked in breathless delight, obviously having never considered the possibility of having family. “Attacked?” he echoed heartbroken.

Akira nodded, “Lavenza. She's currently being held prisoner down there. But don't worry, she's strong.”

“Lavenza...” he repeated, “What an elegant name. She must be an incredible young woman,” he purred wistfully. Akira huffed a half smirk wondering if he would be saying such things if he met the gremlin twin wardens, the two halves of her whole.

Ryuji crossed his leg, “So.... What now?” he asked, drawing them back to the matter at hand. “I mean, if you're gunna take Kamoshida down then I'm in. Might not be much use against those armoured guys, but I can watch your backs at least,” he promised with that familiar sunshine grin of his.

Morgana straightened up, “If you can be sneaky, then a rear guard will definitely be useful,” he declared with a firm nod to the blond. Not even attempting to push him away, and Akira could have sung to see it. “I estimate we haven't even explored a _quarter_ of the whole Palace so far, and we definitely haven't seen their true power. Do you know?” he asked, looking up at Akira.

He nodded, “The heart of the distortion is behind the throne room at the top of the tallest tower. The shadows get markedly stronger the closer you get to the heart. At the moment Kamoshida doesn't view us as a threat, he's too busy trying to get the time of day from Takamaki Ann,” he explained irritably.

The runner pulled a face, “I heard they were dating but – he's so not her type.”

“They aren't. Kamoshida's trying to force her though,” he explained with carefully leashed violence in his voice. Ann could deal with him personally, she had that right. “So we should deal with him as soon as possible. Are you free after school tomorrow?” he asked.

Ryuji's grin had far too many sharp teeth considering the fact he hadn't managed to call Captain Kidd yet. “You know it! Let's take that pervy bastard down!” he snarled excitedly, jumping to his feet and pumping a fist.

* * *

Sojiro was in about as good a mood as Akira expected when he got home, growling at him about an interesting phone call he received from the school – only to be interrupted by Morgana as he poked his head out of Akira's blazer to ask if this was the mysterious 'Boss' that he had been talking about earlier. The silence gave him the time to explain the edited version of what he and Ryuji had gotten up to. He also threw in a sideline about discovering a Gardening Club on the roof he was thinking of joining – that would hopefully cover both him and Ryuji, even Ann, in future, about staying late at school until Sojiro allowed them free reign of the attic. And if they befriended Haru in the process all the better, hell, he already planned to put some effort in to do some new planters for her.

He wondered absently how Morgana would react to a catnip plant, but quite wisely kept the thought to himself as Sojiro blustered about his business to the tune of Morgana arguing, unheard, about how neat and clean he was, thank you very much! He was a gentleman!

Akira didn't even have to say a word as his guardian somehow managed to convince _himself_ to let him keep the cat before banishing the two upstairs with gruff embarrassment.

“Yikes. You live here?” the physical embodiment of human hope asked when he saw the state of the attic.

Akira nodded calmly, setting the box down on the table and setting his school bag next to it, “It's a fixer-upper,” he said casually, rubbing the kitten's head. “Don't worry. I'll get it cleaned up properly for you,” he promised. For Futaba and Kawakami too.

“Well,” Sojiro commended from the stairs, a plate of mixed chicken and tuna flakes in hand, looking surprised. “I'm glad you're taking this pet business so seriously. Do you have a name for the little guy?” he asked hopefully, setting the plate down where the smallest Thief could reach it.

“Morgana,” he said with a smile. “But I think we're open for cool nicknames too, if you'd like.”

The faint disappointment turned to eager thoughtfulness. “I'd have to think about that one, if it's going to be a nickname.”

Akira chuckled, “If it helps any, he's a master thief. Stole my homeroom teacher's heart with just a look,” he teased as Morgana dug into his dinner with ravenous surprise.

“A little bandit, huh?” he asked with a quiet snort.

Bandit?

That actually worked really well given his Zorro persona and the bandanna mask he wore in the metaverse.

“Perfect,” he decided. “Morgana, the Bandit Thief of Hearts. And tuna,” he added with a grin, knowing that there was 'mysteriously' going to be a lot of sales on fish at the markets in the future because Sojiro was a terrible liar and an utter soft touch to small and cute things.

Sojiro didn't stick around for long after that, and Akira took the opportunity to gather his toiletries and head to the bathhouse to clean up after spending the morning in the metaverse. The hot bath would do his overworked muscles some good, especially as it was Monday and they put medicinal mugwort into the water. He got the evil eye when he came back just after closing, but survived unscathed, likely because no one could really argue against hygiene _and_ he brought a freshly washed and dried Morgana back wrapped in an awfully large towel. He waited until Sojiro had left before quickly clearing the work table upstairs and crafting some lockpicks double quick.

He wanted to do Kamoshida's palace before Shiho – before that bastard got his claws into her. Before the worst day of both Shiho _and_ Ann's lives happened. Before the 14th. It might never give Ann the push to become a Phantom Thief, but he wasn't about to sacrifice Shiho on the alter of his ambitions. That was not how the Phantom Thieves did things. Not **ever**.

He would find another way if he had to, but no one was going to be jumping off the school roof.

“Can you tell me about her?” Morgana eventually asked softly once he had five picks made.

His phone was still turned off and in his bag on the otherside of the room. He would have to fetch it before going to bed because he would need the alarm for tomorrow morning but – he tucked the picks away in a leather tool roll he found amidst Sojiro's junk.

Well.

Time to come clean.

He sat back in his chair to give Morgana a serious look. “It's a complicated situation. I suppose I should pre-face this with the fact I'm a timetraveller and your sister sent me back by a year,” he began calmly. Morgana boggled at him. “Yeah. Things got pretty crazy.

“First time around, me and Ryuji got into Kamoshida's palace by accident, but we didn't know _anything_ about the metaverse, either of us. We found you in that cell and you guided us out. But when we went back to try and get information on what Kamoshida was doing to the other students, you recruited us into the Phantom Thieves. Ann's bestfriend was hurt, really bad, hospitalised. And Ann wanted revenge. So she joined us. We stole the treasure, and he confessed what he did. We celebrated and.... we decided to keep doing it. To clean up society of corruption and cruelty by stealing treasures and changing hearts. We went down to the bottom of Mementos where we found the heart of a conspiracy to enslave humanity and your Master gave us the power to fight back. We won. Your sister gave me the choice to come back and fight again, but with foreknowledge. I can save Shiho, Haru's father, Akechi, everyone. And get some of the bastards we missed the first time,” he added determinedly.

“Lazenza is an attendant in the Velvet Room. Her master, Igor, is the one who made you. He gathered up all that remained of humanity's hope and formed you out of it barely days before we met. But the Velvet Room was attacked. Igor was defeated and locked away, Lavenza was split in half, turned into twins by the name of Justine and Caroline. They don't remember anything, and take entirely too much amusement in hitting me whenever I visit. Don't worry, I'll fix them, promise.”

Morgana had flattened himself to the couch in distress, his pupils had turned to pin-pricks. “There was.... a girl in a black mask with fluffy hair....”

Hope surged in his chest.

“Haru. The latest addition to the Phantom Thieves. You recruited her personally,” he explained.

His tail lashed unhappily. “A – a big golden cup,” he said and Akira couldn't stop himself from scowling.

“I won't say his name. It may have power even now. But _that_ is what sits at the heart of Mementos, and we're gunna have to do some really crazy stuff to get down there. He's protected himself well,” he explained leaning back unhappily. The bigger they made themselves in order to get down there, the easier it became for Yaldabaoth to simply erase them with the power of cognition once Shido's idiots had finished wiring him directly into the hearts and minds of humanity. They were going to have to make some attack plans, hell, he was - he was going to have to pull everyone in as soon as possible. All of them. Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Yusuke, and Ann. He was going to have to contact his confidants as well, beg Takemi for her medicines, set Ohya to sniffing out corruption – introduce her to Yoshida-san, talk to Iwai-san about the Yakuza cleaner and Kaneshiro –

_Ohya!_

Ohya's friend Kana was hot on the heels of a scandal about a famous politician and suffered a mental shut down as soon as she got proof! Was she gathering information on Shido, or his pet, Ooe?

He was going to need Futaba sooner rather than later.

He bolted for his bag and dragged his notebook out. He started writing, only to pause.

He couldn't risk a conversation on a potentially bugged device if he wasn't even willing to talk with it turned on. He needed another phone. One that he would have to keep out of the metaverse – they were all going to need new phones for talks that their shiny bullshit opponent shouldn't be privy to.

They barely scraped a win last time with how the odds were against them. Morgana had really been their trump card, Morgana and their friends, those voices that screamed out in the eleventh hour and called on the world to join them to remember and fight BACK.

He wrote a new note.

“Come with me quickly,” he said, scooping the kitten up quickly and heading downstairs.

“Where are we going?” Morgana asked, digging claws into his clothing and climbing to his shoulder as he let himself out through the backdoor and into the alley behind Leblanc.

“Sojiro's place,” he explained following familiar discreet paths to his guardian's residence. He pointed to Futaba's window. “There's a girl in there by the name of Futaba. She's not very well right now, but she became a Phantom Thief last time. She's an incredible hacker, and her persona is able to act as a navigator in the metaverse. Her mother was an expert scientist researching cognition and the metaverse. She was murdered a few years ago and Futaba was so traumatised that she developed her own Palace.”

Morgana's ears flattened, “How horrible. That poor girl.”

He nodded. “Think you can sneak in and give her this? I'd just end up scaring her.”

“What does it say?” the cat asked peering at it.

Akira unfolded it in the street lights overheard let Morgana read it.

_Alibaba, mother of Medjed,_

_I know of your mother's research._  
_Her death is not what it seems._  
_I will text you tomorrow._  
_I know it's hard for you right now and I'm sorry it's taken so long_  
_to come for you, my fellow warrior of justice. I will do all that  
_ _is within my power to save you._

_Sincerely,  
_ _Joker of the Phantom Thieves_

Morgana scratched an ear. “Nicely put. But, why 'Joker'?” he asked.

“Can't very well use our real names in Palaces or when discussing heists. You named me Joker the first time we made a serious push to take Kamoshida,” he explained nostalgically as the littlest thief took the note. A moment later he vanished into the shadows.

Akira shifted into the shadows, hiding as only a master thief could, so the police wouldn't bother him. As soon as Morgana got back – did he care try a Palace run for Futaba? It was quite late. Her distortion and the shadows were probably too strong for him right now, but he wasn't actually going there to fight them. No. He would do it after he had finished with Kamoshida. It hurt to leave Futaba to wallow in her pain, but she was strong, she could hang on for a little longer, meanwhile, if he didn't deal with Kamoshida and do it _quickly_, there was a sickening chance that if Shiho jumped, she might land differently, get unlucky, and die.

As soon as he was done with Kamoshida, he would go to her Palace.

“Done!” the cat crowed overhead before landing on his shoulder. “Let's get out of here! It's cold!”

He glanced over his shoulder as he left, spotting a twitch of her curtains as a tiny brown eye peeked out. He waved to her and flashed the vulcan peace sign and then making a 'call me' gesture. The eye vanished, and he chuckled before heading to the junk shop. He _knew_ he'd – there we go. Old flip phone. He bought it, stopped by the convini, bought a cheap pay as you go SIM, and headed back to Leblanc via the back entrance. He had to charge the phone, but while he waited for that to happen, he started writing down everything he knew about Kamoshida's palace, attempting to remember the route and the rooms of their first heist so he could sketch it all out.

Once it was suitably charged, he got the SIM all set up, and then settled back in his bedding to start texting.

**Hello Alibaba**

_How did you get this number?_

**I'm Joker. A big fan of your early work with Medjed. And an even bigger fan of your mother's research.**

_You knew my mom?_

**Not personally no. We never met. However, I have been researching her field of Cognitive Psience and discovered information a Hacker of Justice may just be interested in.**

**Her death was no suicide.**

_What_

**The death of Ishiiki Wakaba was not suicide. It was the first Mental Shut Down. The truth was hidden, her suicide faked, and her research stolen.  
** **It did go missing, didn't it?  
** **And those people in the suits – such Unprofessional behaviour. Disgusting.  
** **To blame a twelve year old girl for the death of her mother – to use the suicide note of the murderer's own mother left behind, despicable.**

That was probably a bit of a reach on his part, but he had always had his private suspicions regarding the connection between Wakaba, Shido, Futaba, and Akechi. And the way Akechi treated the orange haired girl on occasion – as if he hated, loved, was jealous, or was _guilty_. It oscillated wildly between all four, and was carefully hidden behind far too camera perfect smiles.

_You know about her murderer?_

**Yes. I know about the man who hired him and stole her research too.**

_How do you know?_

**Hah. I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. And I don't think you trust me enough yet to even humour the idea.  
** **You're a very smart girl.  
** **Smartest I know actually.  
** **And one of the bravest.  
** **You've done well to hold out so long.  
** **I'm sure your mother would be proud of you.  
** **She loved you dearly.  
** **And if you ever doubt that – just call Sojiro and ask him.  
** **Or text me, and ask.  
** **I will never lie to you**

_But you won't tell!_

**You wouldn't believe me. And there is no physical proof. They were too careful for that.**

_Then you're just wasting my time!_

**I never said there wasn't a way to get back at them though.  
** **But I can see that you need some time to think.  
** **I'll text you tomorrow Alibaba  
** **sleep well  
before 4am preferably**   
**actually IN your bed**

_You're not the boss of me!_

**I'll tell Sojiro  
** **He'll do that face. You know the one.**

_Fiend!_

**I am :)**

_>8U_

He turned the phone to silent and hooked it back up to the charger with a grin. Morgana was already fast asleep at the foot of his bed, and turning his smart phone on to look at the time he could only conclude it was a good idea too.

Tomorrow, he and Ryuji would go back to the Castle of Lust.


	5. Chapter 5

It was.... getting harder to deal with the Velvet Room, with Yaldabaoth in Igor's image, with the twins, seeing them so fractured and broken now that he knew how they should have been. Not that he didn't appreciate Justine and Caroline, but, he had known them both as Lavenza and themselves. And now that he did, he could see the broken and bleeding edges behind shadow gold eyes. He almost wanted to rip the bars off his cell then and there, grab them up, and whisk them away from the Velvet Room to Soujiro, who would take them in and protect them like he had Futaba, like he had Akira. These strange gremlin children who were too rough and too smooth and weren't quite right, just like all the children that would flock to his coffee shop in future.

He had to restrain himself. For now. One day, he told himself as he shook off the cobwebs of sleep and the chill of heavy metal restraints that he allowed only as decoration from his limbs. One day he would do exactly that. Once the Thieves were whole, when he had back up. He would take those two out of there until they all got back to the bottom of Mementos and rescued Igor proper.

But first, here, now, Kamoshida, Shiho, and Haru's plants. Yes.

Akira tucked up the weapons he had dug out of the bottom of his moving box, silently wondering but choosing not to question how his Frenzy Dagger or Ryuji's Dragon God Pole, or even Morgana's God Saber were packed in there beneath everyone else's weapons, armour, the various myriad of accessories they used until they were able to afford Takemi-sensei's SP Adhesives. He hid them in his bag, and made a point of stealing some cloth and some of the left over scrap wood from the attic, Soujiro gave him some odd looks but bought the story about making planters for the gardening club. He also made a point of stopping off at the convini to actually pick some stuff up for said gardening club. He wanted to set the planters up for her before the growing season really kicked off, both as a good will gesture and so that they could use the plants for Palace runs if need be.

Class was boring as usual, Kawakami seemed more chipper though, faster to smile. He didn't think anyone else noticed but given how close they had gotten the last time over, it was more obvious to him having seen her so listless before. Morgana comfortably hid himself within Akira's desk, but generally kept quiet aside from every now and again murmuring after an interesting fact, asking him to put a hand up to get the teacher to elaborate. Sometimes he even did so.

After class he dropped a text to Ryuji telling him that he would be out in a bit, he was just running an errand for someone. Hopefully it shouldn't take long to put the planters together. Fingers crossed it went well and she liked it. He wanted to open their friendship on better terms than last time – he liked Haru, she was sweet. Not – well, she _was_ his type, able to snap him like a twig and all. But he had seen the way Ryuji treated her, it was very different to all the other girls in the gang, and Haru never once thought or spoke of him as though he were lesser than her the way that the others sometimes did.

Plotting to matchmake his friends was probably a bit naughty, but.... he wanted them to be happy, and he thought they had a pretty good shot at being so together. He wouldn't be heavy handed, just nudge them towards each other and let whatever feelings happen grow of their own accord. He had probably given it entirely too much thought in the quiet hours of the night after meeting and chatting to Haru about the problems she had been having with her company. Ryuji was smart, but he didn't have a head for business, he would never be a threat to her position as the head of Okumura Foods, the board couldn't control him (good fucking luck), and couldn't use him to control _her_ either. She would have his absolute unwavering support and enthusiasm in whatever task she set her mind to, and Ryuji would have the exact same. Haru would take good care of both him and his mother and he figured that she would absolutely adore Mama Sakamoto. Ryuji would have a girlfriend who knew and appreciated him, who would treat him like he deserved, and wouldn't be afraid of his temper or his enthusiasm and would definitely appreciate his honesty.

Still. That was not important right now. He had planters to put together.

He lashed the frames together using the stolen wood and some wire he got from the convini, he threw a ground sheet over them and weighted it down with gravel from around the airvents and some other rubbish strewn around the roof that would be non-toxic to the plants, and then used tack nails to affix the sheet to the frames so it wouldn't blow away somewhen in the weather. Hopefully Haru would take them as the gift they were meant as – actually, he should probably leave a message in her shoelocker so she would know they were meant for her and the club.

Job done, he left the roof, washed his hands in the toilets, and went to go and meet Ryuji at the front gate.

The blond grinned at him, “Yo. What were ya doin'?” he asked curiously.

“Making some planters for the gardening club. Sometimes they use the roof. Figured we should get on their good side if we're going to make it our hide-out,” he explained casually, feeling Morgana pop out of his bag over one shoulder.

“Are we,” he asked curiously, “going to make the roof our hideout?”

Ryuji grinned, “Hell yeah! Awesome idea!” He looked at Morgana, “Think about it, it's the only place in the school where we can meet without anyone grassing on us!” he exclaimed pumping a fist. “I already got a whole bunch'a weird looks just waitin' for ya. I ended up walkin' back along the same path we took yesterday, y'know, t'see if I ended up back there. No dice. Did it a few times, but, yeah, just got a couple of dodgy looks instead. Then I realised!” he exclaimed triumphantly, holding a finger up. Akira suppressed a grin at the blond's enthusiasm. Ryuji was cute, he would fight anyone who said otherwise. “Gimme your phone for a sec.”

He held it out, actively grinning now as the former Runner snatched it and began to tap away, scrolling through his apps until – yep. Metanav.

“I knew it! Navigation app! This _has_ to be it! It even has your search history right here!” he exclaimed excitedly, waving it around before beginning to tap through. “Man, I'm such a genius.”

**S U G U R U K A M O S H I D A | S H U J I N A C A D E M Y | P E R-**

“What are you two up to, lurking outside the gate like this?” Kawakami-sensei asked, suddenly appearing behind them, making both Ryuji and Morgana yelp even as Akira went painfully tense and sucked in a surprised breath of his own.

**C A S T L E | B E G I N N I N G N A V I G A T I O N **

The world dissolved into scarlet and black ripples, and he heard Kawakami-sensei scream.

Not as planned.

* * *

The Twisted Castle of Lust was as it normally was, oddly ominous and yet still somehow beautiful, and as Kawakami-sensei stared up at it in horrified disbelief, he also acknowledged that it was a pretty good comment on Kamoshida himself as a person. All appearances on point, but still somehow.... unsettling and ominous. And even worse inside. Peel away the shiny veneer and you were faced with the twisted rot and slime inside.

“Dude,” Ryuji stuttered behind him. “Dude, dude, dude, dude, shit man, how the hell – why is Kawakami here?!” he hissed panicking.

Morgana hit him, “You idiot! Clearly that app is – ”

She turned around, took one look at Morgana, and _screamed_, pointing at him in horror.

Morgana jumped like, hah, a startled cat, and even Ryuji shrieked a little, the two of them jumping in surprise and physically hiding behind him. He however _waited_. Eventually Kawakami-sensei took a breath, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly as she pointed at him in confused disbelief. This.... was really not intended but.... was it really so inconvenient or bad? He wondered absently in the back of his mind. She had eventually figured out he was the head of the Phantom Thieves and even gone on to support them, he _knew_ he'd heard her voice screaming up at them along with Mishima and Takemi-sensei. It would be useful to have her on their side earlier rather than later as well.

“Are you alright, sensei? Any nausea, dizziness, chills?” he asked calmly, staring her in the eye.

She puffed for air, still pointing, “Y-you – Ku-kurusu kun?!” she spluttered, wheezing.

He nodded, not reacting, “How do you feel?” he repeated calmly.

She dropped her arm and dragged her hands frantically through her hair and then looked over her shoulder at the Palace. She swallowed, shook her head and whipped around again to glare at him, her hands shaking violently. “What is going on Kurusu-san?!” she demanded, her voice raised with stress and fear, trying to make a show at anger and authority when she probably felt more out of her depth than ever before. “_That_ is not your uniform, and – and – ” she stared, pale faced, as Morgana peered over one of his shoulders, and Ryuji peered over the other, both of them watching her warily. It was cute, Akira decided in carefully hidden amusement, how the two immediately cowered away from her. “What is _that?_” she demanded weakly, staring at Morgana.

He fiddled with a strand of hair, “Apologies Sensei. We didn't mean to involve you. This is Morgana, you've met before. This is the true form of the kitten Ryuji and I rescued yesterday. Morgana, I know you've met before, but allow me to formally introduce my homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami,” he explained casually, hoping that his behaviour would bleeding through to everyone else and de-escalate this before it become a real cluster fuck.

Morgana slid down to the floor and then bowed as gallantly as he could to her. “It is my pleasure to meet such a lovely young woman as yourself at long last, Sadayo-san. Thank you for your _most_ kind treatment of myself and my friends yesterday,” he demurred with his most ingratiating language and behaviour.

She stared at him in silence for a moment before taking a breath, squeezing her eyes shut, and obviously deciding to just.... accept it. “It's.... nice to meet you Morgana,” she managed to get out before opening her eyes and affixing them with her sternest glare. “And what exactly is going on? I notice you have yet to answer _that_ question.”

He smiled a little at her, nodding because she was definitely correct.

Ryuji however tightened his grip, “Dude, we can't tell _her!_” he hissed in alarm. “She's a teacher, if Kamoshida finds out he could get her fired!” he whispered frantically, but had clearly never sat in a class belonging to Kawakami-sensei because she had the ears of a fox and the eyes of a hawk able to lip-read misbehaving students at thirty paces.

She turned back to the castle, “So. This place has something to do with Kamoshida-sensei, hm?” she asked curiously, making Ryuji splutter and flail in shock.

And, of course, before any of them could answer her properly, that was when the screaming from the basement training rooms began, echoing up to them from the drains and rattling through the stained glass windows.

Akira saw her perform a full body flinch and then she was _running_ – straight up the stairs and towards the front doors.

“SENSEI NO!” Ryuji yelped and raced after her, his longer legs for formerly athletic build catching her up before she could shove the doors open. “Don't run off like that! It's too dangerous!” he squawked grabbing her arm and yanking her away from the doors.

“RYUJI SAKAMOTO, YOU TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF ME THIS INSTANT!!” the young woman thundered furiously, making the blond flinch back, his face twisting in shock and then hurt as she twisted herself free and skittered several steps backwards, rubbing her wrist, expression pained. There was a long silence and then, “I – I'm sorry for shouting at you in that tone, Sakamoto-kun. Y-you startled me,” she stuttered.

The blond winced away from her and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “It's – cool. I mean. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. Sorry,” he muttered quietly.

Kawakami-sensei winced, “No. Sakamoto I – _Ryuji-kun_, I am sorry I shouted at you like that. It was out of line on my part.”

He opened his mouth to reply only to be cut off by another scream. He lunged forward and shoved a hand against the door to stop her from trying to open it. “Don't!”

“Stop shouting!” Morgana hissed, “You're stirring the Shadows up!”

“Shadows?” Kawakami echoed fearfully, looking between them all and the doors where the screaming was coming from. “What is going _on_ in there? It sounds like someone being _tortured!_ What does this have to do with Kamoshida-sensei?” she demanded, looking between the three with her sternest frown.

Akira gestured to the building. “This is Shujin.” She stared at him in disbelief and he shrugged. “For lack of a better explanation, this is the realm of imagination. Kamoshida's mentality has become so distorted by his own sick desires that this place was formed. It's a reflection of his mind, how he perceives the world in a physical form. In Shujin Academy, he is a King, and the school is his Castle. A place where he can do as he pleases, and those who object?” There was another scream, dramatically timed, “Are punished,” he concluded grimly.

“We came here accidentally yesterday,” Ryuji explained quietly, kicking his bad leg out. “S'really why we were so late. We rescued Morgana from the dungeons where we got locked up. It was so freaky weird we knew no one would believe us if we said anything. Sorry about lying,” he muttered shamefaced. Akira bumped his shoulder against his in support and concern. Had Kawakami-sensei shouting at him like that thrown him into a grey mood again? He got them from time to time, but Akira tried to be around whenever he sniffed them out, and Ryuji was naturally a people person, when he was feeling down he wanted to be near other people.

She flinched as another wail resounded from within, “I – am having a hard time believing even with the proof in front of me..... You probably made the right call keeping quiet,” she admitted nervously before running her hands through her hair again. “Okay, seriously, we need to do something. I'm going in, and _no Sakamoto_, you will not stop me!” she declared stringently, making the blond's mouth snap shut with a click. “If this place is supposed to be Shujin then those screams could be coming from a _student!_ I have a responsibility for the safety of everyone in this school, I'm going in. You can either stay here and wait, which I would much rather you did. Or.... You can come with me.” She took a breath and cast a nervous glance at the castle, “Which I would really appreciate because I'm not going to lie, this place is giving me the creeps.”

“I know _right?!_” Ryuji burst in almost relief that someone shared his opinion.

Akira smiled and shook his head.

“Morgana,” he prompted even as he withdrew the wrapped package that was the feline's preferred sabre.

His eyes lit up at the sight of it, Ryuji's even more so when he was handed his bat. Kawakami-sensei's expression couldn't have been further from though, her mouth dropping open in disbelief.

“You brought _weapons_ to school?!” she wheezed.

Akira shook his head, “Very realistic looking toys, I promise. But this is a Cognitive – _imaginary_ world. As long as they look real, the Shadows will think they are and react accordingly. This world is all about perception, mind over matter,” he explained calmly as he handed out guns, and then rummaged through his thankfully bottomless pockets and withdrawing one of his spares to hand to her. “Here. Morgana and I will do our best to protect you both, but on the off-chance things go wrong, here's something you can use to protect yourself. Try to memorise the way out as we go. If it _does_ go wrong, take Ryuji and book it for the exit. Don't hesitate. We'll catch up,” he promised firmly. Neither Arsene nor himself had the power they used to, but they certainly had the experience and cognition to make the difference all the same. If things got hairy, they would cause enough of a distraction for both Kawakami and Ryuji to get out before extracting themselves.

She accepted the gun with an incredibly dubious expression before looking up at him. “How do you know so much about this place?” she asked warily.

Akira quirked a half smirk, “I'm full of tricks Sensei,” he assured her, mindful as always of the fact his phone was present. To say nothing of Ryuji or Kawakami's own handsets.

They readied themselves and slipped in through the front door after taking a moment to assure themselves it was deserted. Akira lead the way down to the dungeons, pausing only a moment for Kawakami to catch up when she stopped in sheer disgusted disbelief at the sight of the huge Kamoshida portrait front and centre of the Entrance Hall atop the stairs. She kept up pretty well as they jogged through the corridors and down the stairs, not that he expected her to struggle. Compared to the other teachers she probably worked out a hell of a lot more than anyone except Kamoshida himself, rushing from client to client, doing all the cleaning, and the '_Special Services_', as well as her masseuse training.

They came to a stop over the first bridge and Ryuji shook his head, “Hey!” he called, alarmed, “None of the students are in their cells,” he said and Kawakami went very still before rushing to the nearest set of bars.

“What.... is.... this....” she breathed, eyes going from the filthy torn bedsheets, the leaky mouldy walls and floor, and the obvious chains and headgear scattered across the floor, her eyes lingering on them in particular with a dawning look of horror and recognition on her face. Ah. Yeah. She probably did some work around Shinjuku as well. She had seen the fetish gear fans. She would definitely recognise that stuff.

“I'm gunna check further down,” Ryuji said, hefting his bat and heading down deeper into the dungeons.

Akira tucked his hands into his pockets, “Sensei, are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Her laugh was strained as she backed away from the cells. “No, Kurusu-kun, I don't believe I am. I'm in a strange magical world that apparently belongs to my colleague who thinks _entirely_ too much of himself, there's a giant monster cat, my students are being kept in dungeon cells, and – ” there was another scream from further down and she flinched, “ – they're being tortured! No! I'm not alright!” she exclaimed, her voice thin and reedy with stress.

Ryuji rushed back up then, “Guards incoming, quickly!” he whispered, heading for the Safe Room not far from them without prompting.

Everyone bolted inside and Kawakami inhaled sharply when she recognised one of the ground floor classrooms as it wavered in the air and then vanished like a heat-haze. Akira sat on the table and gestured for silence as the weirdly muffled clanking of the guards rushed past, their words twisting and distorting as they barked reports and gossip at each other before moving on. He eyed Ryuji thoughtfully as he did so. How had the blond known this room was safe? Was he being foolishly hopeful in thinking that he was beginning to remember the last time they did this?

“What – were those sounds?” Kawakami-sensei asked warily, staring at the door as though it were going to burst open.

“Shadows,” Morgana explained as he bounced up onto the table. He gave her a considering look, “As an educator, you'll probably understand the full explanation, unlike others,” he muttered under his breath with a side glance at Ryuji who hovered by the door with his bat and didn't hear him. Akira did though, and he dropped a heavy hand on top of his head with a disappointed frown. Morgana's ears pinned back in embarrassed shame before he coughed into a paw and straightened up. “This is the Cognitive World, or, as Joker said earlier, the world of your imagination. Humanity has created and shaped it, meaning that almost all human thought has passed through and left its fingerprints upon this realm. Shadows are the manifestation of those thoughts and beliefs. They are drawn to strong distortions, strong personalities, _like-minded_ personalities. They gather in Palaces, places like this,” he explained, gesturing to their surroundings.

“Every demon, every angel, every god, goddess, spirit, ghost, even book characters, anything that people have ever strongly believed in exist here,” Akira added from where he was leaning against the table.

“Right,” Morgana nodded. “They all connect to the Sea of Souls, which all connect to the Arcana of Fate. How familiar are you with Tarot Cards?”

She grimaced, “I admit, not very. I know a woman in Shinjuku who does readings,” Chihaya. That reminded him, he was going to have to stop by and visit her. “She did a reading for me once a while ago. Said my future was terrible, that I would work myself to death,” she explained before laughing a little exhaustedly and then drooping in place, going morose and quiet. Damn. Had she known this last time? Was that why she had been so resigned in that hospital room? She already _knew_ she was going to be worked to death by those money grubbing bastards?

“Destiny can be changed,” he informed her calmly, and then tapped his mask pointedly, “This is living proof of it.”

“Right!” Morgana chirped proudly. “The Strength of Heart to change one's destiny is hard won. It's tearing away the expectations and shackles of society that prevent you from moving forward, from changing your destiny.”

Her smile was crooked and a little disbelieving, “Somehow I don't think that's always a good thing,” she admitted sadly.

Akechi immediately came to mind and he couldn't help but agree a little bit. For some people, it was those shackles and expectations that prevented them from committing atrocities, the fear of punishment, of becoming a social pariah. But then he thought of himself, of the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Throwing off the chains of their oppressors to seize their own lives and destinies, to give courage to the down trodden, and fight back against a god that wanted to drown the world in apathy. “Sometimes. But that depends on the person and the circumstances. Not even you can say this society is fair, Sensei, or righteous,” he pointed out solemnly.

She opened her mouth to argue with him only to stop, and then look at him more carefully. “Righteous? Kurusu-kun.... what do you mean by that _specifically?_” she asked pointedly.

He looked her in the eye with a steady expression, letting none of his anger show, bottling and burying it down deep as everything swam and screamed in the back of his head, all the people that screamed out for help in Mementos, the things they witnessed in those Palaces, the dead and the injured brought about by Yaldabaoth and Shido and Akechi.

“I got a criminal record for protecting a woman. Ryuji got his leg broken for standing up to a teacher. You tell me, Sensei. What _do_ I mean by that 'specifically'?” he asked calmly, feeling the scrape of Arsene's claws on his shoulders, the hot gush of his breath smelling of sulphur, english leather, and sandalwood against the back of his neck. This world was rotten, and he was going to rip that pestilence right out from the core of it.

“Guards are gone,” Ryuji interrupted. “They've gone running to the upper levels but apparently everyone's in the Trainin' Hall.”

Akira nodded, “Makes sense. It is time for club activities,” he pointed out as he pushed away from the table and rechecked his gun and knife before heading to the door. “Sensei? Please stay between Morgana and Ryuji. Ryuji, keep an eye on our backs.”

“You got it,” the blond agreed, readying his bat with a grin. He would always have Akira's back, and he couldn't ask for anyone better.

* * *

They slipped through the corridors in silence with both Akira and Morgana handling the majority of the shadows which were _no_ issue thanks to how over-powered their weapons were. He would have to think of something nice to do for the twins in thanks for Lavenza sending them with him. They hadn't even needed to summon their Personas, and, in all honestly, he was holding off on doing so in front of Kawakami because he didn't know how she would react to a literal demon appearing over his shoulder, even if Arsene was a gentleman (he heard the demon chuckling in the back of his head and mutter something sly).

Her reaction to arriving in the 'Training Hall of Love' though.....

He had never seen her so angry.

“What is this? _What is this?!_” she demanded furiously, and then rounded on them. “Explain this, Kurusu, _right now!_”

He stared at her flatly. “This is what Kamoshida does to his students,” he told her plainly, watching as the furious red flush drained from her face, leaving her pale and sick looking. “He is the King of Shujin Castle, and he can do as he pleases. And if he wishes to beat his slaves, his students, he will.” Akira cast a cold look over her shoulder to the volleyball courts below where semi-familiar faces were being beaten by shadows. “Haven't you heard? Absolutely no volleyball student has missed a practice with him unless they've been hospitalised. They are prisoners.”

She whirled around to stare at the students, her hands latching onto the bars tightly in helpless fury, her expression twisting with distress even as Ryuji raged behind her, even though he knew those cognitions weren't real people.

“He's a teacher,” she whispered, staring down at the scene with tears beginning to form in her eyes. “He's a _teacher_. They're just kids, _why is he doing this?_” she whimpered, her voice cracking.

“Because he's an asshole! Because he don't give a single effing _shit_ about anyone but himself!” Ryuji ranted, stomping his feet.

“P-please,” one of the beaten kids pleaded, stopping near to them on the otherside of the bars. “Don't – don't make a fuss. If we stay quiet then we don't be executed like you, Sakamoto.”

“Executed?” Kawakami demanded, turning to look at him. “What are you talking about? He's fine, he's alive.”

The kid shook his head, “He's been executed. His life is over. He'll never run again. He's useless if he can't run. I don't want King Kamoshida to break me.”

“Just leave us alone. You'll only make it worse,” a second boy pleaded, bandaged fingers and bruised flesh hidden beneath crisp white dressings, painfully familiar from the school medical room. Ah, so that was what they meant. He had wondered the first time over why all the student cognitions thought Ryuji had been executed when he was perfectly fine and well stood in front of him. It all related back to Kamoshida's twisted distortion. None of them were real people so they in fact _shared_ in Kamoshida's distorted belief that if you weren't good at sports, if you couldn't _play_ sports, you may as well be dead. And since Kamoshida was the one to break Ryuji's leg and ruin his track-star dreams, in his mind, he had killed the rising star of Sakamoto Ryuji. Executed him for the crime of trying to overshadow the volleyball team that didn't exist back then. Hadn't Ryuji said? The Track Team was the best thing that Shujin had going for itself back in his first year, when Kamoshida first joined.

Kawakami-sensei made a painfilled noise of utter fury before turning on heel and marching to the nearest door. And much to Akira's shock, because he remembered that iron door being locked up tight, she wrenched it open with a grunt of effort and gritted teeth. He knew she was strong but – oh.

She was a teacher.

There were no doors in Shujin Academy that were closed to her save the headmaster's office. Both her _and_ Kamoshida would hold that Cognition, and neither of them even realised it.

She marched down the stairs and clapped her hands to call the room to order like she did every morning in Homeroom. “PRACTICE IS OVER!” she shouted firmly over the din of the shadows and the crying boys. “ALL STUDENTS PLEASE RETURN HOME. And as for _you_,” she added, glaring at the armoured forms as they stopped, bewildered, and stared at her. “What do you think you're doing? Corporal Punishment is illegal in Japan. Step away from my students right this instant!”

“Holy shit, Sensei's got _balls!_” Ryuji breathed beside him as the two of them tore into the training hall to back her up.

The shadows marched forward, “Cleaning Maids should be on the upper levels,” one of them rumbled.

Kawakami's face spasmed, “MAID?! I am a _teacher!!_” she snarled, gesturing angrily.

“You are to clean up after King Kamoshida. Not question his actions!” the shadow barked. “Talking back is an offence punishable by death!”

“Sensei!!” Ryuji yelped, tackling her out of the way as the shadow attempted to take her head off with a sword.

“ARSENE!” Akira ripped his mask off, summoning his Persona.

“ZORRO!!” Morgana howled, following suit as the four armoured shadows burst into a trio Jack'o'Lanterns, Pixies, a pair of Mandrakes, and a single Bicorn. An awful lot of shadows for just the two of them, he was going to have to go all out with this and hold Arsene in his awakened state longer than he would have liked.

He was aware, in the corner of his eye, as Kawakami scrambled to her feet, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear as she got out of the way and then proceeded to corral all the student Cognitions to the far side of the room, where she planted herself in front of them and drew the handgun he lent her with far more familiarity than he thought possible. Ryuji moved up beside her, holding his bat, his expression furious and twitchy, as he was forced to take a back-line defensive position as both he and Morgana went to town on the collection of shadows.

He shot Pixies out of the air even as he ran straight at the Bicorn, leaving them to Arsene as he chuckled and drowned them in Maeiha, which was a bit of a new one as Akira knew Arsene hadn't _learned_ that last time. He plunged his dagger into the throat of the Bicorn, twisting to the side and rolling away from smashing hooves and horns, ducking under Zorro's wind magic as it tore through the Jacks, dropping them for his dagger to make quick work of them. Morgana may as well have been the eye of a very sharp shiny gold hurricane for how quickly and viciously he wielded his oversized sabre on the Mandrakes.

And then a volleyball whizzed out of nowhere and smashed into the side of Akira's head, sending him sprawling on his ass as the last shadow dissolved.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Shadow Kamoshida demanded as he sauntered into the training hall in all of his underdressed 'glory', flanked by two golden armoured shadow captains. “Vermin in my training hall, and a _maid_ out of bounds.”

He shook his head, trying to shake off the stun of the blow to his head as Kawakami rushed forward, putting herself between them and the Palace Ruler.

“Just what the hell is going on, Suguru-san?” she demanded through clenched teeth.

He waved a hand dismissively at her, not even glancing her way as he looked down his nose at him and then Ryuji. “Maids should just keep quiet and do their jobs. In fact,” he decided as he turned his attention to the student cognitions huddled at the back wall behind Ryuji, “You can clean up in here after I'm done executing the slaves who can't do as they're told.”

Wails and shouts and begging went up behind them and Akira got to his feet, readying his dagger. He didn't know how the student cognitions would behave, but they had been attacked by cognitions before – Wakaba Ishiki for instance, Haru's fiancé for another, and even though she hadn't raised a hand against them, Cognitive Ann had been a 'restorative' to Kamoshida's shadow form. And whatever the fuck that said about how he viewed his interactions with her was absolutely sickening.

Kawakami stomped her foot, taking a step forward. “You're out of line, Suguru!” she scolded loudly, “You won't lay a single hand on my students!”

He turned to glare at her with disgust, “Tired old maids who can't do their jobs don't deserve to live. Get out of my way!” he commanded, and then backhanded her.

“SENSEI!!” Akira was aware of shouting, Ryuji as well, as she spun from the force of the blow to her face and slammed into the ground heavily.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!!”

“What kind of man strikes a woman like that?!” Morgana howled lividly.

He stomped a foot on top of her head before she could get up, “Just a tired old whore who should have kept her mouth shut and her head down,” the Palace Ruler declared, stomping on her skull a little harder. “Still,” he mused, tilting his head sideways to examine her. “You must have been a looker back in the day, I bet you've got loads of _experience_,” he laughed dirtily. “I might forgive you. If you make it worth my while,” he singsonged salaciously.

Akira felt his stomach burn, and he began to take a step forward only to freeze when he felt the air pressure change. When it began to charge with familiar energy. And he saw Kawakami's hand snap up and around the King's ankle.

He squawked. And then _shrieked_ in pain as her grip tightened.

“_Worth your while?_” she snarled under him as he managed to kick his leg free and scramble backwards. “_I'd rather gargle ground glass and motoroil than let you lay a finger on me. On my students. On my **school!**_” she roared as she shoved herself up.

And then he felt the lightning strike which – no, no _way_.

She screamed, gripping her head.

Was – holy _shit_, she _was!_

She writhed. Slamming her fists down onto the training hall floor, splintering the varnished wood beneath her fists again, and again, as blue fire erupted in a halo around her head.

Of all the people in Shujin Academy.... she was probably the last one he expected to have the potential.

She climbed to her feet, panting, a black iron grill materialising across her golden eyes as she squared her shoulders and clawed her hands.

“We're in agreement,” she rasped hoarsely, “No more ignorance. No more forgiveness. NO MERCY!!” she screamed.

And tore the mask off her face in a spray of scarlet blood that turned into blue _fire_.

“N-no way! Sensei's got one of those Persona things too?!” Ryuji yelled, shielding his face behind his arms as the whole room rattled with the force of her awakening.

The flames whisked away, and their teacher slammed her _riot shield_ down into the broken wooden floor. She looked like some unholy mix between black paladin and riot-cop gone bad, armed with a riot shield and a knight's lance. Behind her, wreathed in ethereal blue flames, an old woman in Chinese Han dynasty armour in vivid scarlet, a man's severed head tied to her belt by its hair, her face painted stark white, her eyebrows blood red, with a black dao in one hand, and prayer beads in the other.

Kamoshida went three shades paler, retreating a step as she slammed her lance against the shield, the sound of a bell, a _death knell_, filling the air and reverberating through the training hall.

“King of the Castle?” she demanded furiously. “Don't make me sick. If you're the King, then it's time for a bloody Revolution!!”

Kamoshida fled, turning tail and bolting out of the training hall as his golden escorts burst into a trio of Incubus and Succubus each.

“**MOTHER LU!!**” the teacher commanded, “_Makouha!!_”

A Bless Persona?

With one command, light magic pierced all six shadows and threw them to the ground.

None of them wasted the opportunity to rush an all out attack on them, the force of it obliterating them to nothing. Leaving the training all silent save for their panting.

Akira turned to his teacher once the danger was over.

This..... this was absolutely _not_ as planned. He hadn't thought adults even _could_ summon a Persona. Never mind that Kawakami would have the strength of hear or mind to do so. Not to speak badly of her but – then again – hadn't she always rebelled in her own way when it came to her students? She had bent over backwards to help Taiki Takase, her late student at her last school, his death had _crushed_ her because she thought it was her fault. And when his guardians blamed her for it as well? It was even worse. But she had gone out of her way to help and protect him on their last go over despite that, and apparently despite knowing that those people would work her to death at the same time. Was it really so surprising that she would scrape up the gumption to fully manifest when confronted with her very anathema? A scum teacher using his position of power to take advantage of his students and _gleefully_ cause them harm?

With that in mind, her awakening seemed a foregone conclusion with a confrontation in mind.

She took a deep breath and straightened up, her weapons bursting into blue flame and fading away to wherever it was they went before they remembered they needed them, revealing her outfit in full form. She wore a police issue armoured vest with metal pauldrons, biker gloves that looked like armoured gauntlets, a tool-belt that he saw more than enough of on police-officers and security guards, black armoured tassets across her thighs, sturdy black combat trousers, and armoured grieves that you would see on a knight. Her whole look was riot-cop meets black knight, it was pretty cool. Even her mask, it was a black metal grill not unlike Queen's, but much narrower looking like some mix between knight's helm and riot-helm. As for her Persona, Mother Lu? He was going to have to google that one later. It wasn't from the Temperance Arcana that Igor had – that _Yaldabaoth_ had given him access too. However, he didn't have Zorro in the Magicians' Arcana, or Captain Kidd in the Chariot Arcana.

“Well,” she said looking herself over. “This looks very.... unique,” she decided, her armour moving smoothly as she lifted her arms to get a better look at herself. “Like something out of a video game,” she added, flexing her hands and revealing that her gauntlets were also _clawed_.

“It looks badass,” Ryuji admitted faintly as he shuffled over, disbelieving.

She smiled a little, “Thanks, Sakamo- Ryuji.”

Akira dug into his pocket and handed her some sweets, taking a few for himself and for Morgana. “Here, you'll need the energy. Popping a Persona for the first time is exhausting,” he told her as he unwrapped one to put in his own mouth. _Holding_ a Persona active was exhausting too, good thing he still had Takemi-sensei's SP Adhesive 3 tucked up on himself. Like a nicotine patch. It would make rumours spread if anyone saw him with it but fuck them, really. He was past the point of actually caring.

“Persona,” she echoed, taking them thoughtfully. “So that's what they are. I had wondered when you ripped a demon out of your face,” she admitted.

He huffed a half smirk, that was definitely one way of looking at it, “His name is Arsene.”

“We should go,” Morgana said, cutting through the conversation as he looked around warily. “That Kamoshida will summon more guards soon.”

Akira nodded, “Alright. Let's go.”

“But what about the students?!” Kawakami blurted, looking to the corner where they were – _not?_ “Where are they?!”

Morgana patted her leg, “I know this is confusing Sadayo-san. But they weren't real. Think of them as dolls that Kamoshida imagined up. They're not like us who came in from reality. They were created by his mind, they're just reflections of what he thinks of them in reality.”

“Don't be surprised if you run into a representation of yourself, or one of your students if you come back,” he warned her, even as he wondered how she would react to seeing Cognitive Ann. Probably.... not well. Kawakami-sensei wasn't _shallow_ per-say. But she was _sensitive_ about her age and appearance given how it often factored against her in her other part-time job, when trying to find a boyfriend, and other things. Whatever ill thought she might have for her student upon seeing the Cognition would vanish very quickly as soon as she saw how Kamoshida treated her.

The woman clearly wasn't happy about it, but she nodded her head all the same. “Alright. You know this world better than I do. Let's go. But you will be answering my questions once we're out of here, Kurusu Akira,” she warned him, pointing a clawed finger at his chest.

He nodded, and lead them out. The sugar would get them to the exit hopefully before they all crashed completely. Akira had been lucky on his first burst because he hadn't held onto it long enough to exhaust himself, that energy conservation was the only reason he managed to make it through school before crashing hard that night. Not that Yaldabaoth or the twins gave him a chance to rest _properly_.

They didn't see any Shadows on their way out, Morgana theorised that Kamoshida had probably locked himself away in his throne room and hidden behind all of his guards now that he had been challenged like that by a teacher – someone that he Cognitively recognised was his equal, if not superior at Shujin Academy and Japanese society as a whole.

Which was, of course, when they were attacked as they crossed the entrance hall with what seemed to be every shadow from the lower levels, and a few from the uppers, along with Kamoshida himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Long chapter is long.
> 
> I'm sorry guys. I've had this chapter written out for a while, I just hadn't typed it up yet. Brain has been obsessed with other things and HELLO FIRST MAJOR CHANGE TO THE STORY!!!!!
> 
> When I said there would be other Persona Users, and that there would be more Phantom Thieves, I really meant it. Meet Sadayo Kawakami. The first Neo-Phantom Thief. Her Persona, Mother Lu, is a historical figure, best known as the first female rebel general in Chinese history. She was a very wealthy woman, when her son was executed by a minor government official over a small slight, she raised a peasant army and overthrew the county magistrate's office, beheaded him, and then placed the head upon her son's grave as an offering. The army she raised would take her ideals and her teachings and, after her death four years of illness after this, would name themselves the Red Eyebrows and overthrow the entire Xin Dynasty. She was in essence, the mother of their entire rebellion as it was her money and efforts that brought it about. Her primarily elements are Bless and Strike, with some Dia thrown in.
> 
> As for Ryuji, Kawakami has thus far been the only teacher to be nice to him since the Kamoshida incident. That she's been fair, willingly nice to him, and even apologised when she's messed up has gone a LONG way to earning his affection and trust. And the fact that she's managed to make this delinquent kid pay attention, try to improve himself, it's reminded her about why she wanted to teach to begin with, so you can see why she was so chipper at the start of the chapter. 
> 
> Oh and warning: I WILL NOT BE PAIRING KAWAKAMI WITH A STUDENT. I WILL NOT BE PAIRING // ANY // OF THE ADULT CHARACTERS WITH STUDENTS.  
I know they are legitimate 'dating' options in the game, but they never should have been imo. As a grown ass woman, if a seventeen year old came onto me I'd have run the fuck away. What Kamoshida does is irrefutably framed as immoral and wrong, and it's only when the fact that its forced is brought up does everyone have a problem with a man in his thirties, possibly older, trying to hook up with a 17 year old girl. Just because the genders are reversed does not make it in any way better, or the fact that Kawakami is not forcing herself on him. It is still wrong. Sorry. I have some OPINIONS(tm) on this subject guys. Always have (I think 30% of my Snape hate is based on the amount of Snape/Harry fics that were never tagged properly until I walked face first into them).


	6. Chapter 6

Recently awakened or not, flagging and on the verge of exhaustion, Kawakami was used to being on ten percent battery and _still_ performing beyond what you would reasonably expect of any one person. Akira really shouldn't have been so naïve in believing that a little exhaustion would make her so much as hesitate when confronted with Kamoshida at this point after all the revelations of the day.

The second she saw him in the Entrance Hall, the wide array of shadows blocking their path, she was _on him_.

Hitting the Palace Ruler like a _train_ with her shield at the fore.

That – was a mistake.

At the direct attack upon his person from a perceived equal, a legitimate threat to his 'rulership', his whole form ballooned out into his grotesque King Asmodeus form and batted her back across to the otherside of the room. She landed in a heap, skidding and rolling to a stop where she gasped and struggled back to her feet, she had to form up and hide behind her shield as the shadows boiled out and around the room, attacking all of them at once.

Kamoshida laughed, prehensile tongue lolling out from between his jaws like a long slimy red rope before he exploded across the room in all of his hot-pink, disgusting, '_glory_' to where Akira and Morgana were working in tandem to try and clear the way to the door. He smashed into Akira hard enough to drop him, to make his vision flash and spin and his _bones_ ache. A critical strike. This was bad.

From the corner of his eye he saw Morgana go flying and then get dogpiled. Kawakami was still huddled behind her shield, still wheezing and stunned from the blow that sent her flying even as she tanked everything the shadows around her landed on her shield, glaring murderously at her colleague through the metal grill of her riot helm.

Ryuji yelped in pain, and fury flashed whitehot in the pit of Akira's stomach – _no one hurt Ryuji!_

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!” He launched his Frenzy Dagger as hard as he could, straight up into Kamoshida's balls.

The Ruler _howled_, staggering back a step before he booted him in the stomach.

His whole body bent around the shadow's foot, and he felt something snap, several somethings, and an awful hot wet sensation in his chest that _burned_ a split second before he realised distantly that he was airborne and

oh.

This was going to hurt.

He hit something, and everything went black.

* * *

“Joker? _Joker?_”

Everything felt like it was swimming and fuzzy in a stomach lurchingly familiar way, like a Dia overload, complete with Morgana hovering next to his head looking worried. Wordlessly he reached up and rubbed the cat's head and just breathed for a moment as the feline exclaimed happily. When he opened his eyes next, the familiar mask of Skull was looming over him, those puppy-like brown eyes wide and concerned.

“M'okay, Ryuji,” he promised quietly, the blond immediately relaxing in relief, practically lighting up.

Kawakami needed a little more convincing as she checked him over with a first aider's eye, he wondered somewhere distantly if it was a requirement for a teacher or if she had taken the course because she was just that dedicated to being the best teacher she could be. It was only once she had checked him over that he was allowed to sit up and see that they were currently outside the school gates, still in the metaverse, but far out of sight, and out of Kamoshida's sphere of influence.

Eventually they left the metaverse, and unwilling to let him out of her sight just yet, Kawakami invited them both out to dinner. Ostensibly to get some answers and to feed all of their rumbling tummies, but also to sooth her own anxieties as she _hovered_ over Akira with shaking hands and a pale face. His near brush with death in the palace has shaken her up, considerably. She discreetly called her part-time job, informing them that she was handling an incident with her day job and would be unavailable this evening, she'd make the hours up at a later date, before hurrying into the faculty office to collect her things and rejoin them. All three of them headed into Shibuya where she took them to the upstairs diner and went for a booth towards the back where they wouldn't be disturbed.

They ordered food, and as soon as the waitress left she pulled out some painkillers and handed them over to Akira with a stern command to take a few before she pulled a notebook and pen out of her bag. Ryuji gagging in disgust as Akira took two of the pills dry.

“Alright. Start from the top,” she commanded, brushing hair behind her ear. “This cognitive, imaginary world. Start there.”

So they did.

Morgana explained most of it, Akira occasionally chiming in to elaborate or simplify an explanation. And throughout it all, Kawakami-sensei made notes and asked questions, many of which Akira hadn't thought to ask the first time around, many of which _Queen_ hadn't thought to ask the first time around. When the subject of the phone app came up both she and Ryuji checked their own devices and exclaimed over finding the very same app on them. He explained how it worked, but made sure to extract a promise from them both about how dangerous it was and how they shouldn't go exploring or messing around in there without backup – they saw how easily he was put down, now imagine they were alone and Morgana wasn't there, or was down as well. _Never_ go in without backup. He primarily aimed it at Skull, but he knew how dicey Kawakami's money issues were, and the metaverse was a quick and easy way of building up cash too (he had about two point eight million yen stashed away from his last 'game'. He was spitefully saving as much as possible just so that when Kaneshiro demanded three million he could cheerfully tell him that he had the money, _he just wasn't going to pay him_).

Then came the discussion of Personas, masks, and rebellion.

Ryuji googled who everyone's personas were, gleeful at discovering his was a famous pirate, complaining about how Akira had gotten something as cool as Arsene Lupin the master thief rival of Sherlock Holmes (“Wait! Does this mean we're gunna get a Sherlock Holmes guy trying t'hunt us down?!” the blond exclaimed, semi-excited, semi-horrified. Thinking about Akechi, Akira could only shake his head. No, it was far more likely they were going to be hunted down by the physical embodiment of Dr Jeckyl and Mister Hyde instead), and gushed in admiration of Mother Lu, the first female Chinese Rebel General in history. A woman who, upon the murder of her son by a government official over a minor slight, raised a peasant army and helped them to overthrow the Xin Dynasty. Badass. And, Akira privately thought, very appropriate given her history with her past student, and again with the Phantom Thieves. Not that he expected anything else given how their personas were a reflection of their innermost selves.

Kawakami grimaced, “Then that horrible... _pink_ thing was really Suguru-san's true self?” she wondered morosely.

“Disgustingly so,” Morgana agreed primly, peeking out of Akira's bag. “Shadows are reflections of the parts of ourselves that we repress to fit with the expectations of society. Personas are your will manifested, Palace Rulers are their _desires_ manifested.”

She sighed and set her pen down to sip her drink. “There.... there have been rumours for the longest time but they were always disproven. No student would ever come forward. And given the success of the volleyball team, the money awarded to the school for their achievements....” she trailed off listlessly and rubbed a hand cross her face. “How could this have happened? Why did no one notice? No one step in?”

“Like you said,” Akira pointed out, “money and success.”

They fell silent, Ryuji turning his phone off again as Akira had requested when they first went into the diner, and continued to slowly eat what remained of their dinner before eventually the subject of Akira's record came up, Kawakami asking if it was anything to do with the metaverse. Akira told her the truth. Yes, the guy that falsely accused him was to do with the metaverse, he had a palace and he was interested in cognitive psience, but that night had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. Back then, Akira was just some kid who couldn't stand back and do nothing while a woman screamed for help as a drunk man tried to force her into his car.

She set her knife and fork down hard enough to clatter, “That's why you were put in _my_ class, not one of the male teachers',” she realised in horror. “You got your record _defending a woman_. They were banking on the fact you would give me less trouble.” She put her head in her hands, “All this time I was scared of you but in reality I would have been the only homeroom teacher that would have been safe if you really _had_ been as bad as they claimed.”

He nodded lazily. Chouno-sensei was a third year homeroom teacher, and Usami-sensei was a first year homeroom teacher. Shujin was one of the rare schools where the number of female teachers was a lot smaller than the male teachers. If he had really been the 'roman respecting delinquent' they all thought he was then Kawakami-sensei would have been the only second year homeroom teacher that would have been safe from his 'aggression', she was the only female second year homeroom teacher. Never mind the fact that the only reason he even got _into_ Shujin was because Kobayakawa was ordered to keep an eye on him to make sure he wouldn't be a problem for Shido further down the line.

Speaking of Kobayakawa....

He pulled out his phone and turned it back on, waiting for it to load as the other two finished their meals and just sat for a minute absorbing what they'd been talking about. He unlocked his phone and opened the metanav, drawing curious stares from the others.

“Kobayakawa Keiji.” Ryuji jerked upright and even Kawakami-sensei inhaled sharply.

[ **C A N D I D A T E F O U N D** ]

Ryuji dropped his fork, “No effin' way! The Principal has a Palace too?!”

Akira nodded, wondering how the hell he had missed this the first time over. “Not surprising. He knows what Kamoshida does and covers it up for him.” The look on Kawakami's face could have curdled milk and he politely ignored her vicious mutter of '_that bastard_', and continued to play with his phone to figure out the rest of the man's keywords. Maybe they could change his heart too? That would save Makoto a lot of grief later on – and themselves.

“Shujin Academy.”

[ **C A N D I D A T E F O U N D** ]

Now. What kind of distortion would he have of the school?

“Zoo?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“Circus?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“Beehive?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“Castle?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“Kennel, or dog pound?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“....Slaughterhouse?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

Well that was a relief at least. Akira knew he thought of the students as disposable but it was nice to know they weren't attending his school like 'lambs' to the slaughter.

“Factory?”

[ **C A N D I D A T E N O T F O U N D** ]

“A mountain,” Kawakami suddenly suggested, leaning forward in her seat with a complicated look on her face.

[ **C A N D I D A T E F O U N D** ]

“No way!” Reyuji yelped, “Way t'go Sensei! How'd ya know?”

Her smile was thin and unhappy, “He would often talk about how education was 'a challenging mountain to be overcome' during staff meetings,” she admitted slowly with her usual reluctant carefulness. “He often spoke about how – how we teachers were the bridges up that mountain.” She stared down at her unfinished food with a frown. “Knowing what I do now.... I don't think he meant it in quite the way we took it.”

“I guess...” Ryuji muttered, fiddling with his steak knife. “That means we can't exactly report Kamoshida to him then, if he's covering up what that bastard's doing and sees all of the other teachers as 'bridges' or somethin' to get up the mountain then – well, even _I've_ heard of that English saying '_to burn your bridges_',” he quoted. His accent was terrible, but not as bad as expected. Ann's influence from middle school, or a steady diet of video games?

“We can't report him, no. But we can stop him,” Akira told them quietly, but with intensity.

Kawakami frowned at him, “How?”

Ryuji suddenly grinned, “Oh yeah! That treasure thing you were talkin' about before!”

He nodded before looking at Kawakami, “Remember how we told you there's always a source point of the distortion that creates a Palace? If you steal the source, the distortion vanishes. Think of it as cutting out a tumour from someone's mind, one that's putting pressure on their behavioural centres. Remove the tumour and it will remove the justifications and delusions they use to protect their minds from their own actions. But we need to be careful not to kill the Palace Ruler.”

She frowned suspiciously at that. “What happens if we do?” she asked warily.

Akira was silent for a moment, debating with himself before deciding that he had never been one for lying before now, and he wasn't about to change or start now. “Mental shutdown. Complete brain death.”

Ryuji picked up on it faster than she did, likely because the media hadn't yet begun to refer to it in those terms, and it was something that was, at the moment, only circulating on social media with any kind of regularity.

“Dude. Those mental shut down cases, that's to do with the metaverse? What about the psychotic breakdowns?” Ryuji asked, hushing his voice fearfully.

He turned his phone off before he answered, tucking it back into his bag where Morgana lay down on top of it, “Yes. There are other Persona users out there. Having a persona means you can't develop a Palace, but nothing stops you from working for a Palace Ruler. I know of one other persona user, a boy in a black mask, he's been going around performing the psychotic and mental breakdowns at the command of his father, a Palace Ruler.”

Kawakami made an odd noise, her expression twisting into something an awful lot like pity and regret and Akira knew immediately what her mind must have jumped to.

“His father didn't know he even existed until he was offering his services as an assassin for hire, Sensei,” he corrected her gently, “Don't pity him. He made his choices and he's continued to make them for years. There's one rule as a Persona user as far as I'm aware: Take responsibility for your actions. That's it. Not, fight for truth and justice, not, worship god,” he would rather eat out Shido's asshole to be completely honest, not something he ever thought he would actually say but as far as his shit list went, Yaldabaoth actually sat at the top, Kamoshida right under, with Shido limping in at Third because despite how horrible and evil he had been, he had been distant and uncaring, Kamoshida had been _personal_ and _visceral_ for how he took pleasure and glee in hurting his friends.

“You mean to tell me,” Ryuji hissed, “All those accidents were because'a one guy runnin' around being an asshole?” he demanded, practically vibrating in place. “We have to stop him!”

Akira shook his head, “Right now, he would turn us into paste. He's been doing this for years. His strength in the metaverse is considerably higher than ours. We might be able to handle him in reality, he's no different from us, but he's got connections which would make it not only hazardous but also potentially lethal to interfere with him. I don't know how he's getting in or out of the metaverse either, if he has an app or if he's just able to slide in and out like Morgana can. If we do manage to ambush him, there's a high chance he might drag us into the metaverse and that would give him the upper hand.” Akira was almost absolutely one hundred percent sure Akechi had the metanav app, but some of the things he'd heard in the Velvet Room lead him to believe there were other groups as well, which meant there were more than likely other ways to access the metaverse - smartphone apps were still a relatively new development.

The school teacher sighed, slumping in her seat, “So we're stuck for now.” She scrubbed a hand through her hair before checking the time. “It's getting late. We should make a move back home. The volleyball rally is tomorrow, we can't raise any suspicions by showing up exhausted to class.” She shifted herself out of the booth and looked directly at Akira, “Come on, I'll take you home Kurusu-kun. I want to speak to Sakura-san – not about the metaverse, but if he's keeping as close an eye on you as he should then the least I can do is make sure you don't get into trouble with him.”

It was a slightly awkward train journey back to Yongen Jaya, but Kawakami insisted on accompanying him there.

Sojirou was full of fire and brimstone when he stepped in, only to practically swallow his tongue when sensei followed on his heels.

“Sakura-san?” she inquired, gesturing at Akira to carry on, “We met a few days earlier. I'm Kawakami Sadayo, Kurusu-kun's homeroom teacher. I'm just dropping him off. I asked for his help after classes today and unfortunately he took something of a spill down the stairs, I didn't want him trying to navigate the underground aline after hitting his head like that,” she expertly bullshitted as Akira made his way up the stairs. He didn't hear what Sojirou said but his tone was doubtful. Kawakami-sensei laughed, “Oh no, he's quite helpful,” she said, her voice carrying easily. “I've got an eye for the real troublemakers, that's why he was put into my class. I promise, Kurusu-kun isn't a delinquent, just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, like many others. I'm hoping that if people see him helping me in the future they'll be more apt to think well of him regardless of his record, to that end, I may end up keeping him after class a time or two. I just wanted to give you my contact details as I know you're probably keeping a close eye on him.”

His spare phone went off as he was carefully pulling a napping Morgana out of his bag, messages from Alibaba demanding to know if the hit to his head loosened his tongue. He grinned as he sat on the edge of his bed with Morgana's purring snores in his ear as he held the kitten to his shoulder and quoted one of the better lines from Featherman at her. He had to suppress his laughter at the string of empty boxes he received – his phone was so old the emojis she created wouldn't appear.

He told her to go and take a shower, eat something that wasn't so high in sodium it would kill a snail, and go to bed. She shot back with an order to brush his hair and stand up straight.

When he finished changing and climbed into bed, he didn't expect to be summoned into the Velvet Room. He'd forgotten that Yaldy-gor had pulled him in after Ryuji awakened to Captain Kidd. He had to bite his tongue _so damn hard_ against the urge to tell him to stay the fuck away from his friends, from Ryuji, and now from Kawakami-sensei (he was a little gratified to see the sheer bewilderment on the being's face, that a woman of the _Temperance Arcana_ would awaken a Persona).

He wondered how his social link with Igor would go now that he knew the truth about the being. Would it never grow? Or was it already maxed out? He hadn't checked for fear of what he would find, or whether or not investigating that aspect of the app would draw his attention to any anomalies.

Then again, he hadn't been able to do anything directly to Akira until _after_ he had reached his full potential as a trickster so – _oh!_ So that was it!

Yaldabaoth needed to play the game properly. _He_ was trapped by the rules of the game. As a trickster, _Akira wasn't_. When Yaldabaoth took over Igor's role, he then became trapped by the rules that _Igor_ had to play as well. He had to help Akira reach his full potential before he was released from the role he'd stuck himself in by attempting to manipulate both sides of the playing field.

Akira was safe from outright sabotage until that point.

As long as Yaldabaoth didn't learn that he had _already_ reached his full potential as a Trickster.

* * *

The next day, during the rally, he ignored all of the club members and went straight for Suzui Shiho.

It took him a while, but he did find her eventually. And just like last time, she very kindly reached out to him and told him not to pay the rumours any mind, speaking about Ann and her difficulties with them in the past.

“You're a good friend, Suzui-san,” he said kindly, watching as she smiled a little, only for her face to fall and her shoulders to rise. He sighed, hating to see someone that Ann spoke so _glowingly_ of draw into herself so hard, dim so much. “Suzui-san.... Far be it from me to put my nose in, but Kamoshida is an unmitigated bastard of astronomical proportions,” he announced, making her jerk and stare at him with an open mouth, “He's an arrogant and prideful son of a bitch, but if you weren't good enough, he wouldn't have made you a Starter. He wouldn't have ever risked his precious volleyball team, or his _reputation_. No matter what he tries to force you into after class. You _or_ Takamaki-san.”

She reared back as if he'd _slapped_ her.

“Wh – what – how do you – ”

He shrugged, “Assholes love to brag. The fact that no one would believe me just means he gets to brag at me about it. Joke's on him though. Kawakami knows, and she plans to do something about it. Sakamoto and I are helping her by gathering evidence. So, Suzui-san, if you ever feel unsafe, go to her. And,” he looked her dead in the eye, trying to impress on her how important this was because he _knew_ what it was like to hinge your entire identity and life around a sport, “Volleyball isn't worth your life, or your sanity. If it gets too much, _**Quit**_.”

She shuddered, her breathing hitching with a sob, “M-my parents would never let m-me just lea-eave,” she choked.

He tugged a handkerchief from his pocket, “Fuck them,” he advised her sagely, his thoughts circling back to his own parents and his mother's single minded determination to make an Olympic Gold Medallist Gymnast out of her son, and her reaction when she found out his record would forever bar him from her dreams of money and success. “If they're so obsessed that they're willing to force you into close quarters with a predator then their opinions aren't worth a damn thing. The only person living your life is _you_. Do what _you_ need to, what you want to. Just be safe.”

She dabbed at her eyes, “Do- do you really think he'd do something to me?” she asked thinly.

“He's been playing you and Takamaki-san off each other since the start. He's getting frustrated that she won't put out. He's using you to break down her barriers, holding your Starting position hostage for compliance. But he already _has_ control of you. So yeah. If he doesn't get what he wants soon, I know he's going to take it out on you. Guys like that are all the same. If you parents keep forcing the issue, pack a bag, go stay with Takamaki-san, she'd put you up in a heartbeat, and Ryuji's said her parents are away a lot so she's pretty lonely. Think of it as an extended sleep over, at least until we get this thing sorted.”

Shiho stared at him with the most heartbroken look on her face a moment before she suddenly started to laugh, “Y-you make it sound so _easy_,” she cry-laughed, “I wish – I wish I had your confidence,” she admitted slowly with a watery smile. “I'll keep it in mind. Thank you.”

He nodded, straightening up, there was nothing else he could say here. “Keep your phone close. And... if he summons you to his office and seems to be in a particularly bad mood, just get out. Run. Get somewhere public and call Takamaki-san. I'll see you around hopefully. Stay strong, stay _safe_.”

“Thank you, Kurusu-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The number one thing, I think, that keeps kids in abusive situations is that no one actually sits down and offers them reasonable ACHIEVABLE options that they can action themselves. It's usually just 'tell an adult' which yes, you should, but abused kids don't trust often, and when they're being told all the time that no one will believe them that they'll be punished and laughed at, especially in a culture of shame like Japan, well. Telling an Adult is often the hardest part of the situation because it is putting your trust, trust that has been broken already, in someone else and taking what little control you have out of your hands.
> 
> Hence why Akira's a lot chattier in this than he is in canon. He's giving Shiho options, and giving Ryuji and Kawakami info so they can make their own choices. 
> 
> Also, I think there are absolutely NO main character Temperance Arcana users in the game series, at least none that I can think of and I don't recall one being mentioned in the wikia. So yeah. Yaldy is thoroughly confused because he thought that Temperance just didn't have the personality for it, and then she pops as a **rebel** persona user. All sorts of eyebrows are being raised rn.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: Mentions of Teachers Physically, Mentally, and Sexually Abusing minors. Kamoshida is a warning in of his own, let's be honest.**

Ryuji dragged him into confronting Mishima after he spoke to Shiho. Which.... went about as well as he expected it to.

And given the kind of mood that Kamoshida was in when he walked away, the way he looked at Mishima with the dead-eyes of a hunting shark.... Akira made his excuses to Ryuji and stuck around. He checked the medical supplies he'd never really gotten out of the habit of keeping close to hand, sent Morgana off to keep an eye on the PE Faculty Office with the phone he was using to talk to Futaba – it was old, but it still had a camera, and what was more, it was created before the laws against up-skirting came in so the shutter was _silent_. He could gather photographic evidence of the man sexually or physically abusing the students as long as he stayed quiet and out of the way. While Morgana did that, Akira left his message about the planters for Haru, dropped a second one to Makoto informing her of what Kamoshida was doing and to please keep an eye out for the female volleyball players.

Hm, what else could he do to lessen the damage of what was going on until they could change the bastard's heart?

He didn't have a chance to think much more on it because that was when Kawakami caught sight of him and asked for help moving some things because she was going to be late out if she had to do it all by herself. Knowing her precarious financial situation he shrugged and helped out until the end of club activities, at which point she discreetly passed him her personal contact details before rushing off to her maid job.

Morgana returned with the phone and the pictures, spitting mad and demanding they go into the Palace and change his heart, change it NOW! It took some doing, but Akira soothed him and collected the proof of his abuses, scrolling through the assorted low-quality images in disgust as he headed towards the changing rooms. He tucked the phone away and slid into the toilets at the back of the room where he could hear Mishima whimpering in one of the stalls.

Sighing, Akira laid out all the medical supplies next to the sink and knocked softly on the door.

“Mishima-san, it's Kurusu. I've got ice packs and bandages for you,” he said softly, hearing the way his classmate's breathing hitched wetly with terror. “I'm going to open the door, Mishima, and then I'm going to help you with your injuries,” he promised as he pulled his housekeys out. Luckily Shujin used plastic door-locks, the sliding kind. They were pretty easy to open, all he has to do was press the teeth of his key into the colour seal and move it until it changed to the unoccupied white. Easy as. It made his fingers ache a little to do it, but the sight of Mishima curled up on the floor with a bloody face, covered in snot and tears, clutching his bruised arms around his no doubt aching stomach hurt more.

He sighed again and then went to his bag. “I'm going to go and get you some water for the painkillers, Mishima. Can you take care of Morgana until I get back?” he asked quietly, gently pulling the still irritated kitten from his bag. The littlest Phantom Thief immediately gasped to see the state Mishima was in and started squirming. Akira dropped the feline into his classmate's stunned grasp and turned away to get the pills and water, listening as Morgana promised that they were going to make Kamoshida pay for this and that he and Akira would take care of him, not to worry!

When he returned, Mishima was crying in earnest, hugging Morgana to his face.

He got the seventeen year old to swallow the pills and drink before picking him up to sit on the toilet seat where he could get at his injuries, using cooling spray and icepacks, wrapping support bandages where they were needed.

“How do you know all this? Are you really as violent as they say?” Mishima eventually asked, looking too exhausted to even care about the answer as he watched Akira wrap his wrist with careful deft movements.

He shook his head, “I used to be on track for National level Gymnastics,” he admitted easily as he used a few butterfly clips to secure the bandage where it should be. “Mum's been pushing me since I was small. I've had some shitty coaches in the past. I know what you're going through.” He peered up trhough his unneeded glasses and thick messy hair, “What Kamoshida is doing is messed up, Mishima, and sabotaging the team. Don't let his words beat you down. You're a good player. You'd be an awful lot better if you weren't constantly bruised, hurting, and tired.”

Mishima hung his head, “What would you know about volleyball?” he muttered resentfully.

“Absolutely nothing,” Akira agreed, and then planted two fingertips in the centre of the other teenager's forehead and pushed, forcing him to tilt his head back and look at him in shock if nothing else. “But I nearly broke my spine because one of those shitty coaches pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and never gave me time to recover. I was lucky that one of my old coaches happened to be in the same building. He hit the roof when he saw that was happening. He saw immediately that my current coach was pushing too hard and that it would destroy me before I could make anything of myself,” he explained as he handed the teenager another bottle of water, remembering the dehydration torture he saw down in the castle dungeons.

Mishima was silent, he just drank his water in numb exhausted silence, Morgana noisily promising that there was no way Kamoshida was going to get away with it, they'd change his rotten heart and everything would be alright! Have faith!

Akira handed him an icepack for his face, “Go home, Mishima. Get some sleep. I'll get you out of practice for tomorrow.”

He jerked, alarmed, “What, how?” he blurted fearfully.

“I told Kawakami-sensei what's going on, what he's doing to the team. She believed me. We're gathering evidence. If you ask her, she'll find a way to get you out of it. She's your homeroom teacher, if she says no club activities, no club activities. You might have to help her carry stuff, but she'll do everything she can to keep you away from him,” he promised as he began to pack away all the bandages and coolpacks he hadn't used.

There was a long silence and then, he felt Mishima's fingertips on his elbow. “Kurusu-kun.... thank you. I don't – just... _thanks_,” he muttered softly, “You're the first – first person that's actually _cArED_,” he gasped, his voice cracking and breaking.

This was a far cry from the boy that screamed out in defiance at the end of the world, who rallied the entirety of Station Square and Shibuya to scream with him, to support the Phantom Thieves. He was just a scared, hurt, and broken kid right now. And even though he didn't remember it, he was still one of Akira's dearest friends, his closest confidants.

He reached out and dragged the boy into a one armed hug, pulling the volleyball player's face into the side of his neck carefully so as not to aggravate his bruised flesh. Mishima's breath stuttered in shock and then all the fight went out of him, he crumpled like wet tissue paper and collapsed against him, crying helplessly into the side of Akira's neck, confessing everything. How Kamoshida would single him out in lessons, force him to go through techniques again and again and again until he messed up and failed and then he would be beaten. He'd learned pretty quickly early on that if he failed quickly then the man wouldn't hit him so hard, would ignore him faster. But because of that, instead of being used as a punching bag, he ended up being used as a gopher instead. As a slave. Fetching people Kamoshida wanted to beat down, passing messages on that he wanted to be able to disavow later, tasks he didn't want to get his hands dirty with, like leaking Akira's criminal record which he was so _so so sorry about he didn't want to_, and – and – sometimes he would –

“The way he touches the girls sometimes. I've – I've seen through the windows of the Faculty Office. He's made them stand there without their clothes on and – ” he cut himself off with a whine and a shudder and Akira had to practically lock his joints in place so he didn't end up giving his friend bruises with how furious he was, so he wouldn't squeeze too hard and break bone. Mishima had been hurt enough. “He's been.... focused on Takamaki-san for a while. Her and Suzui-san. I don't – I think he's – I think he's going to make Suzui-san do something that'll – that'll hurt her.”

Akira nodded, “I've already spoken to Suzui-san. Told her we're doing our best. Mishima, do me a favour....” The day Shiho jumped was the day after tomorrow. “If Kamoshida calls her out while he's in a bad mood, trip the fire alarm. If you get caught, blame me. Say I threatened you into it. I'll handle the fall out. Don't let her, or any of the other girls, go anywhere alone with him.”

“R-Right. I can – I can do that, Kurusu.... yeah. I can do that at least,” he sniffled, taking a deep breath and drawing back, roughly wiping his face. “You're – you're a much better person than I thought. When I read that police report I thought it was a bit funny, I mean, there's no way they followed procedure and they definitely didn't record everything they should have.” The volleyball player went quiet before peering up through his lashes at him, “You were trying to save that woman, the one in the report, and it just got out of hand. Like now, right?”

No one could ever accuse Mishima of not being perceptive, or intelligent.

He nodded.

“Do you – do you know who that guy was? The one that got hurt?”

He nodded again, and the conversation died out as Mishima looked down at his feet.

His phone chimed then, not his smartphone, the old one he was purposefully keeping separate from the metaverse. Futaba had texted him, she was the only one who had that number.

**Alibaba: WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE PICTURES  
IS THAT A SCHOOL  
IS THAT YOUR SCHOOL  
IS THAT YOUR TEACHER  
WHO IS THAT  
WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL LETS A TEACHER DO STUFF LIKE THAT**

Oh boy. Time to run some damage control.

**Joker: Yes it's my school.  
Yes that's one of my teachers.  
Kamoshida Suguru.  
One with a very shitty Principle with some shady connections desperate for funding.  
The volleyball team brings in a lot of funding because it plays at a national level  
That means a lot of prestige and money  
it also means that the volleyball coach and do pretty much whatever he likes because the Principle will cover it up.  
Don't worry. We're working on it.  
That's why we took the pictures on this phone – silent shutter.  
We're gathering evidence for the police.**

Mishima sniffed, “Who are you talking to?” he asked as he wiped his face.

“My very own internet hikikimori genie. Well, gremlin more like. She's a wiz with tech and she's got my phone bugged. So all the pictures I got earlier of Kamoshida in action she's got a copy. Just in case anything happens to this phone,” he explained with a smirk at the other student whose mouth dropped open in shock and no small amount of awe.

Akira hadn't _planned_ for that, he'd been hoping this phone was too old for Futaba to get a bug on without being in physical contact but he supposed he should never underestimate her resourcefulness. Plus, it wasn't like anyone hadn't already figured out how to get spyware onto phones this old, they were probably considered more of a priority given how popular they were with the much more vulnerable elderly population who were not as savvy with scams and phishing. Them and young kids, he recalled, thinking about Kaneshiro and the damage he did at Shujin alone. But any backup was better than none, and if worst came to worst and Kamoshida found his phone with the evidence in it and destroyed it, well, Futaba would always have that evidence and she could forward it onto Niijima Sae who – for all that she was a hardass ice bitch at this particular moment in time – would flip her ever loving shit if she found out about a predator being anywhere near her younger sister. Her very pretty, and socially inept little sister.

In fact.

**Joker: Hey, Alibaba. Do me a favour.  
Send those pictures to Niijima Sae at the Prosecutor's Office.  
Ask if she's happy sending her little sister to a school where the Principle covers this sort of thing up on the regular.**

**Alibaba: Holy shit  
I don't know if I could be horrified or excited to be a part of this!**

**Joker: Time it so it happens tomorrow afternoon.  
I get the feeling either me or someone else might get the blame for it otherwise.  
If it's in the middle of class then it's plausible deniability.**

**Alibaba: You got it! This Hacker of Justice won't let you down!**

Well. Hopefully that would mean Kamoshida's hands were going to be too full with Sae-san in full wrath-mode to go after Suzui-san. It would also give the Principle a damn heart attack.

* * *

Sojirou gave him the stink eye when he showed up but didn't comment on the hour. Igor didn't bother him while he slept. He managed to snap a couple of cute pictures of Morgana while he napped or did something particularly cat-like without the little Thief noticing. All in all, he was feeling pretty good when he got up the next day, smug and full of anticipation at the on-coming shitstorm that was about to kick off. It was probably a good thing that no one knew him very well yet, if the Ann he had left behind had been here she'd have taken one look at his face and demanded to know what he was scheming. His pokerface was good, but right now, he was _oozing_ smug satisfaction and doing absolutely nothing to hide that fact.

He had every right to be smug, he thought.

He'd helped Mishima, he'd helped Ann, and he'd saved Shiho. All without setting foot into the metaverse.

_That_ had been their fatal flaw last time, they had relied too much on that world and ignored their own, ignored the possibilities here that the metaverse opened them up to. All knowledge was usable, especially that which they gained from shadows. Getting the enemy to confess was nice and all, but as time progressed there was an increasing argument about whether or not the confessions were done under coercion and whether they were even legally permissible in a court of law. On top of that, Shido confessed on TV and didn't get arrested at all. Akira wasn't foolish enough to think that just because he'd admitted to such things he would be arrested for them when the rest of his little cabal were trying to cover it up. No, he needed to not _only_ get them to confess, but he also needed to bury them with hard _evidence _so that there was no choice but to make them take responsibility and atone for their evil.

He still planned on stealing their treasures, but he had been naïve the last time, and that bit them in the ass. He wouldn't forget that this time. He didn't intend to just win against Yaldabaoth. He intended to _crush_ him.

But first, he had to destroy his supports. He had to checkmate Akechi, and overthrow the Palace Rulers, starting with Kamoshida. He just had to be careful not to take it too far, or push to hard with the others. His festering anger was dangerous, and getting harder to control, but he didn't intend to become as bad as those he sought to overthrow, he wouldn't become a monster for them. So, he went to Mishima and helped where he could, he wanted to save Shiho before she jumped, he wanted to keep as many people as possible safe first. He hadn't appreciated how painful it was for Ryuji and Ann the first time over. He had been an outsider, he didn't know the people that Kamoshida had been hurting and they were too busy being horrible to him for him to have developed any kind of actual sympathy for them. But for those two, they'd known a lot of these guys before hand, they'd known what they were like before they were hurt and sad and scared. For him now, knowing what Ann and Mishima and Ryuji were like before make their pains now personal, and made it difficult to swallow his temper.

Even more so as he passed Shiho in the corridor and she turned her face away from him in shame. Black eye standing out starkly on her tanned face. As if it were _her_ fault it was there in the first place.

Anger kept him silent for the rest of the day, at least until Ryuji snagged him after class and dragged him up to the roof.

“Mishima came to be during lunch, man,”Ryuji told him, perching on the edge of the desks looking worried. “He looked rough as hell, said he'd been looking into – uh, some stuff that happened last year between the track team and Kamoshida.” The incident where Ryuji's leg was broken. The blond pulled out a USB from his pocket and held it out, “He said you were gathering evidence and to give this to you, he couldn't because it would be suspicious but he could at least pretend he was askin' me for running tips. What's up? I thought we were gunna go in and change his heart?” he asked warily, disappointed that the plan had seemingly changed.

Akira took the stick and nodded, “We are. But I'm not leaving any loophole for him to wriggle out of. A confession can still be dismissed in a court of law if they believe it was made under coercion.”

He also couldn't stand sitting still for long, and without a full team he wasn't willing to go into the metaverse as he currently was – Asmodeus Kamoshida had proven quite clearly when he punted Akira into that wall that he was no where near his previous level of strength. It was why he was already beginning to make overtures to the rest of the thieves even now – the planters he'd set out for Haru were already filled with a high-quality fertiliser and topsoil meaning she had accepted it. He'd connected to Futaba and was working to bring back her Hacker of Justice, get her fired up, engaged with the world, angry at the world, and willing to put herself out there a little more. He'd reminded Sae that Makoto existed, but that was a delicate situation and he was hesitant to really wade in between the two sisters knowing what he did of Sae's personality and how Makoto was right now. The only one he hadn't yet made any true overtures towards was _Yusuke_, and he immediately wanted to hit himself. Fox was arguably the one in the most precarious situation right now, stuck under Madarame's roof.

He bade goodbye to Ryuji after telling him everything he'd done so far to gather evidence, much to the blond's awe and delight, and opened up a food delivery app on his phone as he left Shujin. Yusuke had ridiculously expensive tastes due to all the art showings he attended with Madarame where he would eat all the buffet foods and entrees because it would often be his only meal of the day, but Akira knew his personal tastes well enough by now. He ordered from the beef-bowl place, paying for a larger portions and at least three meals before quietly calling them up and explaining that his order was actually for a school friend in a rough spot, could they please add a note telling said friend that the other two meals were to be saved for tomorrow and the day after. Akira would order him more food after that, hopefully after two or three weeks of regular food shipments Yusuke would be willing to at least talk to him.

It was as he was putting his phone down, intending to head to Iwai's and see what he had on offer when he heard Ann's voice not too far away.

“ – and you call yourself a teacher?! … _This has nothing to do with Shiho!!_”

It felt like he'd been kicked in the chest.

No.... no, no, _no!_

This wasn't – this was _exactly_ what had happened last time!

Sae-san was supposed to be distracting him! Why was he bothering Ann now?!

The blonde girl stared down at her lockscreen in disbelief, a selfie of herself and Shiho holding crepes outside their favourite stall, flashing almost mockingly up at her as the call was dropped. Her face crumpled before she hunched over, her breath shuddering wetly as she sniffled something about Shiho's starting position.

He stepped forward, heart hammering, and watched as she flinched and jerked upright.

“Wait, were you – were you _listening?_” she blurted.

“You sounded upset,” he heard his own voice reply as if underwater.

She wiped her face, “How – how much did you hear?” she asked worriedly.

“Enough,” he admitted, anger slowly clawing like a thing alive in the pit of his stomach, crawling up his chest and throat as her eyes creased and narrowed, overflowing as she tried to suck her tears back in with a shuddered gasp.

“It's nothing! Nothing at all!” she croaked, sniffling before she roughly dragged a sleeve over her eyes and bolted, running away from him – _just like last time._

_Nothing had changed at all!_

_Shiho was going to jump!_

He bolted after her.

He had to catch her, he didn't know Shiho's number, he had to get that girl _away_ from Kamoshida! Had to keep Ann away from Kamoshida! His mind was spinning and panic was burning through his veins, narrowing his vision on her and her alone.

Ann was fast, but she wasn't yet a Phantom Thief, she wasn't even on the same level as a rusty out of practice gymnast either.

Akira hurtled down the escalators faster than he would have advised even on a palace run, he nearly crashed into the wall, and a small knot of Kosei students who jumped aside for him with yelps. Morgana yowling in his bag at the surprise chase that had him and everything in Akira's bag bouncing around. Ann didn't get much further than the magazine rack of job flyers in the underground before he managed to snatch her arm and pull her to a stop.

“You're fast, but not as fast as Ryuji,” he panted.

“Let me go! Why won't you leave me alone?!” Ann demanded, angry through her tears, pulling against him and scowling furiously.

He opened his mouth to answer only to have someone grab his hand.

“That's what I'd like to know,” an unfamiliar voice chimed in, a split second before the grip on his hand tightened, digging fingers into the pressure points of his wrist and thumb.

Joker yelped as his hand was forced open and twisted up, his knees almost buckling as he turned his elbow and shoulder in order to follow the motion before his wrist broke. Arsene stirred in the back of his head, like a dog hearing a whistle and Akira tried to swallow his sudden alarm because – Arsene didn't _often_ react to things outside the metaverse, he stirred sometimes when _Akira's_ mood got out of hand, when his Will burned brighter and hotter than normal. But never of his own accord like just now.

“Are you alright miss?” the unfamiliar voice asked kindly. He didn't sound too much older than they were, and he had a very sharp clear-cut accent, foreign, and despite being similar, a lot thicker and harder than Ann's own.

“Y-yeah, I'm okay. It's fine, he wasn't – it was nothing,” Ann's voice said. “Please let him go, he was just worried about me. This was all just a big misunderstanding.”

he felt that iron grip on his hand flex for a moment in the small silence that followed, and Akira gritted his teeth, patiently waiting it out even as Arsene's presence practically draped itself across his senses to try and get a better impression of what was going on. “You sure?” the voice asked, “It didn't look like nothing from where I was standing. A young lady in tears running away from a very angry looking guy chasing her. If you need to go somewhere safe – ”

“He's the friend of a friend. It was just a misunderstanding, he wasn't going to hurt me.”

There was another pause and then Akira's hand was released.

He twisted, putting some space between them, clutching his hand to his chest and rubbing the abused flesh as he looked – _down?_

He was Haru's height and Arsene practically _lit. up._ In the back of his head with recognition and glee, making his blood feel almost bubbly and electric as he took in the scruffly looking dark haired foreigner with glasses, bright bright green eyes, and a Kosei uniform with a Third Year pin on his chest. The boy sketched an awkward bow at him, “I'm sorry for twisting your twist like that, sir,” he said solemnly as Akira felt his stomach twist a little with uncertainty and Arsene purred happily.

What in the actual ever loving fuck.

The stranger turned to Ann when all Akira did was gape at him, “What happened?” he asked, pulling a tissue from his pocket to give to the girl. She started a little but took it, looking conflicted even as she dabbed her eyes.

“It's – it's nothing,” she insisted.

“It is _not!_” Akira bit out sharply. He absolutely needed Shiho's number from her.

“Why do you keep worrying about me?!” she suddenly burst, dissolving into tears again as the stress of everything came crashing down around her.

Akira floundered, so unused to _Ann_ of all people crying, that for a moment he didn't know what to do. The Kosei boy looked like he would have rather been _anywhere_ but right there at that particular moment but he was gentle, if incredibly and obviously uncomfortable, as he stepped into her personal space and slowly pulled her into a half-hug with one arm, leaving plenty of time and space for her to push away if she wanted. Instead, the blonde girl latched onto him, shoving her face blindly into his shoulder and sobbing desperately. It was intensely uncomfortable to watch and Akira felt absolutely useless, hands fisting unhappily at his sides, unable to comfort her because if anyone in Shujin saw it would make things _so much worse_ for her and Shiho with Kamoshida.

The Kosei boy rubbed her back and looked at him, “Is there anywhere quiet we can sit for a bit?” he asked softly, not once stopping his hand movement up and down her spine, or pulling away from her.

Akira nodded.

Last time they'd talked about this was at Big Bang Burger, this time, knowing what the subject matter would be, Akira thought of taking her to Sojirou's. Except – that was too far away, and it would probably make Ann uncomfortable. Iwai's too for all that he knew the ex-Yakuza would – shit, no _definitely not_ Iwai's. The guy put on a tough front but he was a soft touch with a short fuse, and he was _traditional_ Yakuza. If he found out that a teacher at Kaoru's school was _that_ kind of a pervert he wouldn't hesitate to contact one of his old brothers and bring the wrath of whatever clan he carefully never mentioned around either him or his son down on the bastard's head, and that would just make everything from then on messier. The Diner was probably the safest place, they could sit at one of the quiet booths at the back where they would have some privacy and Ann could have a moment to actually calm down.

Kosei flashed him a grateful look but made no move to interrupt Ann's sobbing, just gently stroking her back and swaying her a little.

Was Ann.... he knew that foreigners were often more physically demonstrative than Japanese, but Ann had certainly never given any indication of being particularly tactile. Had she held herself back for fear of making them uncomfortable, or because if she got close to anyone people were so much more likely to make a big deal out of it? She and Shiho seemed to touch a lot, and she certainly had no problem with dragging Ryuji into headlocks. Guilt bubbled faintly in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he should try harder with Ann this time, she may have been in Japan for a while, but she had still grown up in a Western country.

Eventually she cried herself out and stood up straight, rubbing her face, “Ugh, sorry,” she sniffled.

“It's fine,” Kosei assured her, still rubbing her back soothingly. “You're not the first, you probably won't be the last. Come on, let's go sit somewhere quiet and get something to drink while you put yourself back together. My treat. Seems like you've both had a bit of a day,” he said with a nod to Akira who lead them out of the underground to Central Street, keeping quiet out of sheer bewilderment because – this hadn't happened last time.

Who was _this_ guy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HARRY'S HERE - YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN SAT ON HIS ARRIVAL GOING 'DAMNIT JOKER HURRY IT UP BOI'.
> 
> I am on a fucking roll with the updates holy shit.
> 
> And now I have jinxed myself to three months on inactivity. Oh well. I knew it was coming. Rei is urging me to get back into FMA and you know what, I haven't touched it since the very first anime series in the early 2000's when I was but a baby weeb. So yeah. Time to binge Brotherhood.
> 
> Also, muahahaha, tomorrow I visit the solicitors and we get hold of a large wadge of paperwork to slap a certain chucklefuck with for **stealing my artwork for his company**. Oh yes. We are going to smack him with a trademark infringement because we own that shit. The best Valentine's Day Date I could have gotten to be honest. Two guys taking me out to punch an asshole in the face with the law. I will be sleeping VERY well tonight <3 and tomorrow <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **WARNINGS:** Mentioned sexual assault of a minor, mentioned mental abuse of a minor, mentioned physical assault of a minor, it's Kamoshida being a bag of dicks as told from a victim's perspective okay, it isn't going to be nice.

They got a booth at the back of the Diner, Kosei presented Ann with his packet of pocket tissues and she took another one to blow her nose as Akira settled in next to the other boy so as not to crowd her – hyperaware again that she wasn't the Ann he used to know, and that boxing her in would not help her anxiety right now. A waitress came and Kosei told them to order what they wanted, food _and_ drink.

“I don't know what the problem is, but a good meal will go a long way to helping you feel better,” the foreigner promised them with certainty as he placed his own order.

They did, and once the waitress returned with both their food and drinks, Akira brought Morgana out and passed him to Ann who immediately took to the kitten therapy on offer, all the while Akira watched Kosei from the corner of his eye. He frowned as Morgana was passed over, the kitten squeaking happily to see his Lady Ann and promising that he would keep her safe and protect her from Kamoshida, him and Akira both. The foreigner looked between the kitten, Ann, and then Akira before he seemed to just brush the whole thing off and dig into his bag for something.

There was just.... _something_ about the Kosei student, something that practically had Arsene wanting to crawl out of the metaverse and – he wasn't quite sure what the demon thief wanted to do to the teenager actually, just something that made Akira restless, overly warm, and hyperaware of _everything_. Who was this guy, where did he come from, what was he doing here _this_ time? Had Yaldabaoth noticed something amiss and pulled in another piece to their game? He had always assumed that Shido was his King piece, and Akechi was his Queen, with the Palace Rulers taking up other positions on the board, but none of them particularly had much in the way of utility, was this an actual piece or just another pawn?

Somewhere, between drinking and eating, Ann managed to get the whole story out, and it was no easier hearing it the second time compared to the first. Just more _infuriating_ because Ann was one of the strongest women he knew, that Kamoshida had torn her down to _this?_ Made her so afraid, so upset, made her feel so _weak_ and _helpless_ when she had the stones to stand up at the end of the damn world and tell God himself to fight her because she wasn't backing down and she wasn't giving up. He honestly felt sick to his stomach with rage.

So much so, that it took him a while before he realised Kosei was taking notes, and had looked up Kamoshida on his phone.

Then the questions started.

How long had she been attending Shujin? How long had she been friends with Shiho, had she been involved with the volleyball club in Middle School, Highschool? Was she in any of Kamoshida's other classes, how did he behave in them compared to outside of them, did he treat her differently when they were alone compared to when there were witnesses? Do you interact outside of school, how so, how often? Does he show any similar interest in other female students, does he treat any female staff members like this?

Mishima called him, interrupting the almost interrogation.

“_Ku-Kurusu! I don't – I don't know what – he's called her to the Faculty Office, I'm sorry! I'm _Sorry!_ I couldn't – _” the boy gasped, practically crying down the phoneline to him.

His heart clenched, “Pull the – ”

The phone was tugged neatly out of his hand by Kosei, “Moshi moshi? Mishima-kun, correct? You are saying Kamoshida has taken a female student into the Faculty Office? Which one?” he asked, scribbling a few notes, the date, the time, the caller. Akira had _no_ idea what was going on, and it was beginning to turn his not so inconsiderable anger onto the foreigner. If it weren't for the gentle touch and the outright gleeful anticipation of Arsene lurking in the shadows of his heart he might have objected to the theft of his phone, instead he stomped down on the weird flutter in his chest that his persona was causing.

“I understand. Please remain calm, Mishima-kun. Stay on this line if you can and please position yourself near to the Faculty Office. I will give them a call and see if I can't extract Suzui-san myself. Please be near to a fire alarm if you can, you very well may need to trigger an evacuation,” he explained before handing the phone back to Akira and doing a quick search on his own before dialling a number and holding it up to his ear.

“_Kurusu? Who was that?_” Mishima asked weakly, much more settled and calm now. Seemed that this guy had that effect on people.

“No idea,” he was forced to admit, and it was irking him something fierce.

“Moshi moshi, is this Shujin Academy?” Kosei enquired in a polite no-nonsense tone. “Good afternoon. This is Detective Inspector Potter Harry, British Criminal Investigations Division currently on attachment with the SIU.” Akira felt like someone had just shot him in the gut. “Could you please put me through to the P.E. Faculty Office? ... There's been an incident and I am attempting to contact a student whom I believe is still in the midst of club activities ... I'm afraid I can't answer that without the permission of parties involved, I'm sure you understand ... Thank you ... Moshi moshi, this is Detective Inspector Potter Harry. There has been an incident and I am attempting to contact one of your students. I understand Suzui Shiho is currently undertaking club activities at this moment, yes? ... Yes it is urgent – I'm sorry, but who are you, sir?” he asked coolly, frowning across the table at the painting behind Ann's head as she _gaped_ at him.

Akira felt nauseous. Where the fuck was Akechi? What had happened to him?

“Suzui-san? ... I am Detective Inspector Potter Harry, British Investigation Division currently on attachment with the SIU, there's been an incident with your friend, Takamaki Ann. I am getting no answer on her home phone and your name was raised as a secondary contact. I would like for you to meet with me as soon as possible.”

Oh, _oh_, he was _slick_.

Arsene rumbled in the back of his head with flee, filling his nose with the scent of sulphur, sandalwood, and leather.

“I am currently on Central Street in Shibuya, but I can meet you at the train station if you'd prefer ... I am afraid I can't answer that, Suzui-san ... Physically, Takamaki-san is incredibly shaken by the incident.” Green eyes flickered up at her, “There was some trauma to her eyes.”

“_HER EYES?!!_” Shiho's voice practically shrieked over the line, making the _student detective_ flinch and grimace as his ear-drum was practically blown out.

“Yes, Suzui-san. I hope you understand the severity of the situation ... It is a private matter so just yourself please. Takamaki-san is understandably distressed and I do not wish to exacerbate her at the moment, crying will only aggravate the trauma.” Ann choked on a disbelieving giggle and Kosei winked at her before returning to his stony facial expression. “Yes, I will see you then. Please put Kamoshida-sensei back on the line. Thank you ... Kamoshida-san? ... I am afraid I cannot answer that question ... Indeed, however she is not on school grounds at present and even so, that duty would fall to her _homeroom teacher_ of which I believe you are not ... Were you not just telling me you had a practice to supervise?” he asked with a distinct coolness to his tone as he arched an eyebrow at the wall. “Kamoshida-san, Takamaki-san is incredibly distressed at the moment, I do not wish to bring in outside factors that may upset her further. In the absence of her parents, Suzui-san was the _only_ other individual she wished to contact – Let me interrupt you right there, Kamoshida-san, I am not running an investigation right now. I was simply in the right place at the right time to help a young lady out of an unpleasant situation. _IS_ there a reason I should be investigating something with regards to someone mistreating Takamaki-san?” he asked sharply.

“Oh he _is_ good,” Morgana praised quietly from Ann's lap. “Can we keep him?” he asked, peering over at Akira who couldn't help but agree with the feline's assessment of his skill. That _had_ been smooth, he could hear Kamoshida trying to frantically backtrack over the line, Potter's face stony as he stared at the painting above Ann's head.

“_Kurusu-san, Suzui-san just ran out of the office, what should I do now?_” Mishima's voice announced over the phone not far from his ear.

Akira glanced at Potter who scribbled something on the pad in front of him and slid it over.

“Wait until she's clear of the building and then pull the fire alarm,” he read off, feeling his eyebrows climb up his forehead. Pulling the firealarm had been what he was going to suggest earlier but this actually meant Shiho would be outside the school, and no longer required to return once they'd ascertained that it was a false alarm.

“_A-alright, Kurusu,_” he muttered hesitantly.

“If you get caught, say I bullied you into it,” he advised lazily He'd already been blamed for the cigarette butts someone found behind the gym, a heinously clogged toilet on the first floor, and leaving creepy love letters in a third year girl's shoe locker. Mishima made some sounds that were remarkably like a puppy with the hiccups but ultimately he hung up at the same time as Potter did.

“_What a twat,_” Potter complained in English, making Ann snort water out of her _nose_ and cough violently, sending Morgana streaking away from her to Akira, yelling about getting wet, stole the last scraps of Akira's chicken and vanished into his bag to gobble it up. Potter handed her another tissue to clean up without batting an eye.

“_Y-you speak English?_” she blurted, in English.

Potter gave her a wry smile, “_The 'British CID' thing didn't clue you in?_” he asked only a little sarcastically.

Ann shook her head, “I thought you were bluffing!” she blurted, switching back to Japanese with a guilty look at Akira.

Potter glanced at him as well, “No. I really am British CID. I'm just here to finish my last year of education where I won't get jumped by the press every minute of the day. I missed my last year due to an investigation and my education previously was hectic so I need to catch up and get my final qualifications. Going abroad was the safest option,” he admitted with a grimace. “Not to mention I _really_ hate the attention so, uh, please – don't mention it?” he practically begged even as he pulled out a leather bound wallet and showed them that _yes, he was actually a legal detective._ From Scotland Yard.

Akira still felt sick.

Where was Akechi?

* * *

Eventually, Potter left to go and collect Suzui and brought her back to the diner where the second she saw Ann's distinctive hair she bolted over and grabbed at her.

“Are you alright? He said you were hurt, that your eyes – oh, _Ann!_” Her black-eye stood out starkly on her face, she'd chewed her lips to bits, and her hair was not only down, but in her gym clothes it was easy to see the _finger bruises_ on her arms.

Ann pulled her into a tight hug, “I'm alright. I – I kind of freaked out after Kamoshida ordered me to go to his house,” she admitted and they all saw the full body jerk the volleyball player gave at that confession. “I ran off crying and Kurusu chased me. Uh, Potter-san here saw him grab me and got involved. Mishima called us after, he was really freaking out so, Potter-san called the school and, here we are.”

Shiho started crying, and they piled back into the booth where Morgana was yet again presented to a crying girl for therapy purposes.

Once Shiho had calmed down, Morgana was hidden again just long enough for the waitress to collect their empty dishes and cups before taking Shiho's order at Potter's insistence. His advice about feeling better after eating making a re-appearance, this time backed up by Ann, and reluctantly by Akira who was now twitching with the need to take a few minutes to google what Akechi was up to.

But this was important, and he wanted to be there for Shiho, so he stayed put and he swallowed his itching as she haltingly, tearfully, told her story about the slow parade of psychological abuse and carefully warming up physical abuse that culminated in the turd-cherry atop a shit sundae, sexual abuse. She said it wasn't much at first, just commentary, then grabbing them while demonstrating forms, then coming into the changing rooms while they were undressing to search for contraband, then just watching. What happened in the Faulty Office was different though, _worse_. Sometimes he would just hit them, sometimes just scream abuse that them, but Shiho.... he would say horrible things to her and then grab her, paw at her chest, her legs, her behind. He spanked her a few times as punishment for not performing well enough, and even – put fingers – in.

The leather seat creaked with the force of his grip on it, but the girls didn't notice as Ann pulled her friend into a hug, tearfully promising that Kamoshida was _never_ touching her again. Akira nearly jumped out of his skin when Potter laid a hand on top of his under the table, the foreigner was still writing with his other hand, but now he was gripping Akira's hand firmly.

Green eyes flicked over at him before he glanced to the girls who were crying into each other before patting his hand. “We'll get him,” he murmured. “I know it's hard to listen to your friends saying such things, but she needs to talk, to get it off her chest if nothing else,” he continued quietly so as not to disturb them. He patted Akira's hand again before pulling away as the girls separated, Shiho rubbing her eyes and flinching a little when her black one pained her.

“I – I hate to ask, Ann, but my parents – ” she began hesitantly only to have her blonde friend immediately grab both of her hands.

“Oh my god, _yes!_ Shiho, you don't even have to ask, of _course_ you can stay with me! Whatever you need, I swear! I'll never be such a bad friend to you ever again!” she promised earnestly, almost driving herself to tears again.

Potter nodded, snapping his notebook shut just loudly enough to draw their attention, “That's good. Suzui-san, Takamaki-san, may I get your contact details please?” he requested, pulling out a very nice brand new phone that – he picked at with a single fingertip and a frown like Akira's grandmother did when handling her phone. “Uh, give me a second,” he begged, blushing a little as he managed to unlock his phone and then fumble with trying to find his address book, “It – I've never – mobile phones are a bit _new_ to me,” he admitted in embarrassment.

Ann swayed in place, confused, “What, really? I don't think I've ever met a teenager who'd never had a phone before,” she admitted with a bright laugh. “Were your parents super strict like Shiho's or something?”

Potter huffed a half smile, “Something like that. My previous school had a very strict no electronics rule and since it was a boarding school, there wasn't much point in getting a phone to be honest. Ah, here we go. Um.... you know what, it'll probably be faster if you just put your details in yourself,” he decided, pushing his phone over with another blush of embarrassment.

While Ann input her details, Shiho finished her meal and genuinely laughed for the first time in Akira's entire acquaintance with her in _both_ runs as Ann took a cheeky selfie with Potter's phone and set it as her caller IS before handing it over to the volleyball player. Shiho did the same, though her selfie was tilted to the side a bit to hide the black eye from view. She handed the phone back and then Potter pushed it towards him.

“May I take yours as well, Kurusu-san? You were a witness to everything mentioned today,” he said.

Refusing would look suspicious.

He took the phone and after a moment of deliberation he input his smartphone contact details, that phone was already bugged anyway thanks to the metanav app so it wasn't like he was going to have anything particularly sensitive about his timetravel or future plans on there. He didn't bother with the selfie as a caller ID though.

Potter took the phone back and then fussed with it for a moment before everyone else's buzzed with a text. Akira glanced down at the single smilie face he had received, “Now you all my my contact details,” the Detective informed them as he tucked it away. “It's my personal number, very few people have it so if it goes off, I _will_ answer. If you need help with this Kamoshida, feel free to call me and I'll do everything I can,” he promised solemnly as he began to pack away his notebook and pen.

“What're you gunna do?” Ann asked as everyone began to gather their belongings and stand.

Potter stared at her like she'd asked what colour the sky was, “Open an official investigation of course. I've had enough experience with abusive teachers that I have absolutely _zero_ tolerance for them anymore,” he said, holding up his right hand, scar tissue shimmering across the back of his hand in the ambient light of the diner.

Ann sucked in a breath as she saw it, her face paling.

Potter's smile was grim and humourless, “She's rotting in prison now. And with any luck, your Kamoshida will be too before long.”

He left to go and pay for their meals, and the blonde girl let out a shaky breath.

“Ann?” Shiho queried.

“The scars. They're words. '_I must not tell lies_'. It looks deep, _really_ deep,” she muttered quietly, her expression pained as she held Shiho's hand tightly. Akira said nothing. “Still,” Ann continued as she turned to him, “To think all of this would come from you chasing me down, thank you Kurusu-kun. You're the first person apart from Shiho to _care_. You need my help, just say the word, I owe you one,” she promised solemnly, smiling at him with absolutely no memory of who he was, what they'd gone through together.

His smile tasted like ash, “Ryuji's been helping too. Kawakami and Mishima as well. Today was just a lucky break.” Lucky or preordained.

Potter returned, and they left the diner as a group – right into Akechi Goro's eyeline.

“Senpai! There you are!” the brunet exclaimed, face lighting up as he spotted them and quickly marched over.

“_Bloody hell_,” Potter muttered unhappily under his breath. “You were looking for me, Goro?” he asked wearily.

Akira glanced between the two of them warily. Well, that answered his question of whether or not Akechi still existed, but what kind of relationship was this? Had it existed in the past? Was Potter one of Shido's toadies? Dressed in his school uniform with his customary brown overcoat and briefcase complete with black gloves, Akechi looked like he had literally stepped out of one of Akira's more vivid nightmares. If it weren't for the quick glance of bland curiosity and just as quick _dismissal_ he might have done something stupid, as it was, Akechi turned all of his attention onto the diminutive third year and – wait, had Akechi called him _Senpai?_

The brunet was all smiles, “Yes. A new case came through and both Sae-san and I wanted your opinion on it. Well, _I_ wanted your opinion on it. Sae-san is too furious to care much about anything right now,” he explained in a mixture of excitement and anxiety. That confirmed that he was still involved with the SIU as well, so definitely with Shido.

Potter nodded slowly, “Convenient, because I have a new case too. We can workshop them together,” he decided thoughtfully.

Akechi looked perfectly concerned, “Is that wise? Surely our focus should be on one case at a time,” he pointed out. Akira wondered if Akechi realised that the polished perfection of his facial expressions and language were what made everyone so uncomfortable around him.

The foreigner just snorted as he adjusted his bag, “If they've only been giving you one case at a time, you've been babied, Goro,” he stated dismissively before turning to them while the brunet's mouth dropped in a moment of genuine surprise and offence. It was a good look for him, and if Akira weren't so unsettled by the developments of the last two hours he would have taken great pleasure in seeing it. “Remember what I told you,” Potter told them sternly, “I'll keep in touch.”

Ann nodded, “Right. Thank you so much, Det- I mean, Senpai,” she quickly corrected, remembering that he'd asked them to keep his status quiet.

He smiled crookedly at them and very clearly nearly rolled his eyes when Akechi shifted pointedly beside him. He looked at the brunet, “Where is Sae-san now?” he asked with only a faint hint of exhaustion in his voice as Akechi led him away, babbling swiftly and enthusiastically about the food, his artificial voice rising and falling as it retained that soft 'good boy' cadence that never failed to make the hair on the back of Akira's neck stand on end. It – it was a bit like watching a grown up with a very overly excited toddler hanging off their arm, actually. What a weird, and disturbing, mental comparison. He hated it.

“Cute couple,” Ann giggled once the two were out of sight.

Shiho elbowed her, “Ann,” she scolded with a glance at Akira.

She made a dismissive noise and waved a hand, “If Kurusu isn't at least a little into guys I'd be surprised,” she declared knowingly and Akira turned to look at her in surprise. Her smile was wicked. “My gay-dar is never wrong, and besides, I flashed you at least twice in the diner and you didn't even try looking.” He'd just thought she was uncomfortable and it felt _wrong_ to ogle her today of all days. Ann was definitely a beautiful young lady and he, much like Yusuke and Ryuji, had been very appreciative of her figure on more than one occasion. He was definitely at that age, and if he thought for one moment that she was genuinely into him, and not hurting after everything that happened with Kamoshida, Shiho leaving, and needing his support, then he would have agreed to date her in a heartbeat and call himself one of the luckiest guys alive. However, _because_ he became her support after Kamoshida, while Shiho recovered, after she left, and on top of everything with the Palaces and Mementos, it didn't feel right.

“There are times and places, and today was none o fthem,” he pointed out mildly, and was gratified when her smile softened into something genuinely grateful.

“Yeah. You're a good guy, Kurusu. Hey! Gimme your chat ID! We're buddies for life now!” she declared brightly as she pulled her phone out.

Chuckling, he did so and the group split up, Ann and Shiho to go back to the volleyball player's house and pack her a bag before her parents got back from work, and Akira back to the coffee shop.

“So. That was him, huh?” Morgana asked from his bag as they huddled on the train.

“Yep. Akechi Goro, murderer extraordinaire,” he muttered under his breath so that no one around them would overhear.

“And the other guy?” the feline asked, “You looked really suspicious of him.”

Had he?

“That's because I don't know him. He's new.” And that made him _itch_.

It made him itch because Akechi was their enemy, and what, he had back up now? Or had he been replaced as their enemy? He waited until the train emptied a little before getting his phone out and googling Akechi Goro. Immediately articles about rising star Akechi Goro, highschool detective, third year student of Kosei High, food blogger, avid cyclist, blah, blah, blah, and a single article about Akechi Mayumi's suicide, ten years ago. She slit her wrists in the bath-tub where she was found by her young son. He had never doubted that Akechi had been honest about her death, he just hadn't anticipated that the brunet would have _downplayed_ it. The way he spoke about it made him think she'd hung herself in the closet or something.

So. Akechi was alive, working for Shido, and involved with the SIU, and probably trying to make himself more valuable to Shido if the way he was working on his rising popularity was any indication. Much like the Phantom Thieves, if he wanted to target people further down in Mementos to manipulate things in Shido's favour, then he needed to be in the hearts of the population more readily.

Which left him begging the question of who the hell was this Potter Harry guy? And where was he the first time around?

He'd have to ask Lavenza about that, but google could at least tell him who Potter was.

...The top search result was '_Youngest Knight Ever: Harry Potter Knighted by Queen Victoria for ceaseless dedicated service in the field of Anti-Terrorism and Organised Crime_'. He was Knighted by the goddamn Queen of England last summer. Akira's eyebrows were in his hairline.

Did this mean the Queen of England was involved with Shido as well???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, the Queen is not involved with Shido. Akira is just an idiot sometimes. XDDD
> 
> Okay. Welcome new readers, and I know there will be new readers because of **Persona 5 Royal** which dropped in Australia a few days ago. As of right now, it still hasn't been released elsewhere but I am getting HYPE. Only three days until my digital download is ready *VIBRATES INTO THE METAVERSE*
> 
> I still don't know if I'll be incorporating any of the Royal aspects into this fic, we will have to wait and see, but either way, don't expect to see me anytime soon after the 31st. I will be glued to my playstation like every responsible gamer.


End file.
